Stella Liebeck of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was in the passenger seat ofher grandson's car when she was severely burned by McDonalds' coffee inFebruary 1992. Liebeck, 79 at the time, ordered coffee that was servedin a styrofoam cup at the drivethrough window of a local McDonalds.
After receiving the order, the grandson pulled his car forward andstopped momentarily so that Liebeck could add cream and sugar to hercoffee. (Critics of civil justice, who have pounced on this case, oftencharge that Liebeck was driving the car or that the vehicle was inmotion when she spilled the coffee; neither is true.) Liebeck placedthe cup between her knees and attempted to remove the plastic lid fromthe cup. As she removed the lid, the entire contents of the cup spilledinto her lap.
The sweatpants Liebeck was wearing absorbed the coffee and held it nextto her skin. A vascular surgeon determined that Liebeck suffered fullthickness burns (or third-degree burns) over 6 percent of her body,including her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, and genital and groinareas. She was hospitalized for eight days, during which time sheunderwent skin grafting. Liebeck, who also underwent debridementtreatments, sought to settle her claim for $20,000, but McDonaldsrefused.
