"Hot Coffee"

[Canadamus Prime]

Interesting how I've kept the same position for years on this, that McDonalds wasn't liable for the person's own lack of coordination. But most of the time I've said anything about this I've been met with derision or "you're not sympathetic" tripe from people (and on this site even). Its nice to see there are a few others who see the same thing I do.
It had nothing to do with being unsympathetic, my position was clearly that while it sucked and probably hurt like hell it wasn't the fault of the people serving the coffee. Hot coffee is dangerous, and painful when spilled on oneself as I can attest. But I wouldn't sue Black and Decker for burning myself with clumsiness. Neither should have McDonalds been held liable for it. I could have seen McDonalds in an effort of good will offering to pay her medical bills, but they weren't obligated to do shit for her. This is why I feel that the bleeding hearts of the world are not suitable for making rational logical decisions because they tend to live in the emotional realm which precludes logic.
I'll stop myself here for various reasons, mostly because I don't want to get into any more discussions on my views. Except that I'll say this much, I am capable of sympathy, empathy and emotions but I don't let those things rule me so much I can't see logical answers to things and it burns me up when I see people who make large-scale decisions without being unbiased by emotion.

I agree with this. I'm not unsympathetic to the lady esp. not after watching that video, but at the same time I don't think the maker of a product should be responsible for the user's clumsiness and/or stupidity. A year or so ago I cut a nice chuck out of my finger with a chop saw, but I wasn't about to sue the manufacturer of that saw because it was my own damn fault I got cut.

 

[lunavixen]

The one thing i'd like to know is why did she take the lid off something that is clearly very hot in an environment with no stable surfaces?

I mean, i'm not unsympathetic to her, and being older (and wearing a tracksuit) the damage would have been worse, and I can understand her requesting McDonalds at the very least helping her with her medical bills, but McDonalds shouldn't have been liable when the lady was primarily at fault (yes the coffee was probably hotter than it should have been), but a company cannot and should not be held liable for something that is outside their perview as neither the cup or lid were faulty.

 

[Nokturos]

She would have been laughed out of the court in any other country than America. This is one of the reasons I'm glad to live where I live; people don't get rewarded for their stupidity here.

 

[Scarim Coral]

It's not suprising that the media twisted the source material as they always do it all the time.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

'Retro report' more like 'retard report'. My Ice Cream was so cold I got brainfreeze, can I sue for that? I guess I'm not American so probably not, we don't have such a culture of complaining.

Except this woman got 3rd degree burns which meant the coffee the melted the flesh off her body and she needed $20,000 skin grafts. It would be like eating ice cream cold enough to give you frost bite.

And to all you saying the woman was at fault, she was. The courts found it partially her own fault due to being clumsy and she lost part of her settlement. But she still had no reason to believe McDonald's served her boiling coffee. As a former employee of the great McDonald's, I dont why people are so quick to defend their bullshit

I don't see why people are more willing to believe "Lolz bullshit lawsuits" than actually look up any truth. Cracked had a good article about this, virtually all the "guy sued by the person that broke into house" stories were completely made up by chain mails and people still pass them around. All law suits like this always have some obvious reason they went to court

 

[Wraith]

I feel for the old woman, but I am not sure on the outcome of the trial. On one hand she did burn herself, but honestly why did the coffee need to be that fucking hot? I can't truly say how I feel on this until I think it over more, however what is really bothering me other than this story is the aggressive nationalism that is popping up in this thread. We went from a woman getting burned and the media spinning the story around to America is messed up in only 4 posts.

 

[MetalDooley]

Millions of people were drinking this coffee every day, and only 700 people complained of getting burned by it over 4 years (that's less than 1 person every 2 days), which is statistically insignificant. I'm more likely to believe that a couple of people a week are injured because they're doing something wrong or stupid than that millions of people are miraculously unscathed from coffee that's incredibly dangerous and likely to burn you.

Try 9 years.Those 700 complaints came between 1983 and 1992 so it's an even more insignificant number

 

[Demonjazz]

'Retro report' more like 'retard report'. My Ice Cream was so cold I got brainfreeze, can I sue for that? I guess I'm not American so probably not, we don't have such a culture of complaining.

Then why are you complaining?

i am pretty sure he didnt even bother to see the video...

-------------------------------

accidents can happen and most of the time its because the victim is careless.

but

your product should count that factor in.
your product shouldnt be instant death and/or maming for a relatively minor accident.

the only ones who are allowed to do this is Duncan Hills Coffee.
<youtube=ZInM3r_OtDo>

She would have been laughed out of the court in any other country than America. This is one of the reasons I'm glad to live where I live; people don't get rewarded for their stupidity here.

you are right. here in europe we just let every great company get away with callous behaviour and shitty security standards.

fuck the customers for wanting anything.

Now I can agree with Callous behaviour because they wouldn't pay the medical bills at first but shitty security standard? That's like saying that if you burn yourself on dry ice because you held it to long you should sue so that it's not as cold. Unless the cups or Lids were faulty it's not really a security standard

 

[Something Amyss]

i am pretty sure he didnt even bother to see the video...

I'm not sure it matters. People are hell-bent towards antipathy in this case and watching the video I doubt will abate that.

People also attacked Wal-Mart workers when they complained about being locked in at night, some of them students against child labour laws.

you are right. here in europe we just let every great company get away with callous behaviour and shitty security standards.

You're just jealous because your health and safety standards aren't on par with USA#1!!!!

Now I can agree with Callous behaviour because they wouldn't pay the medical bills at first but shitty security standard? That's like saying that if you burn yourself on dry ice because you held it to long you should sue so that it's not as cold. Unless the cups or Lids were faulty it's not really a security standard

Have you seen those flimsy lids? I mean, seriously. They could barely stay on and they were used to contain liquids sometimes held just below the boiling point.

Further, I handled dry ice in the 90s. It came with warnings.

Do you drink coffee at temperatures that can cause third degree burns? I mean, yeah, duh, it's hot, but how hot?

 

[Asuka Soryu]

After seeing her wounds. ...No, just no. I don't care if its her fault that she spilled it.

People who defend McDonald's in this situation make me sick... I wonder how many of them would honestly feel the same way if they spilled their coffee and had to spend weeks in the Hospital, getting skin grafts.