US News McDonald's faces hot coffee litigation again

The Helper

Necromancy Power over 9000
Staff member
Reaction score
1,688
A northwest suburban woman has sued McDonald's Corp., alleging that her 4-year-old granddaughter sustained second-degree burns on her chest from spilled hot coffee.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court. According to the complaint, Mona Abdelal of Norridge took her two grandchildren to a McDonald's in Harwood Heights in January.

Abdelal asked her 4-year-old granddaughter to throw out her empty coffee cup, but the child misunderstood the directions and brought the cup to the counter for a refill. The lawsuit alleges that the employee asked the girl to return in a few minutes because a new pot of coffee was brewing.

When the child did so, the employee allegedly filled the cup but failed to secure the lid. The complaint also said that the employee did not place the coffee in a cardboard holder or wait for the coffee to cool down.

 
Last edited:

Slapshot136

Divide et impera
Reaction score
471
but the child misunderstood the directions

so ultimately due to the actions of the child, the child got burned - might I ask what the child did for those few minutes? certainly not go back to their grandmother to give her a chance to correct the misunderstanding of her wanting more coffee, and then of course there is also the fact that THEY are the ones that spilled the coffee ON THEMSELVES - that's self-inflicted

not to say that McDonald employee wasn't careless, (Im not sure they should of given hot coffee to a little kid in the first place), but they aren't the only ones at fault either

what if it was just a self-serve coffee machine with a "caution: hot" sign on it, that the kid filled the cup, and then spilled?
 

Accname

2D-Graphics enthusiast
Reaction score
1,462
The title is misleading. They dont sue because the coffee is hot but because they think the cup was not secured enough for children.
 

Inflicted

Currently inactive
Reaction score
63
so one employee messed up and they go ahead and sue the whole company?..

Sounds familiar. gosh.
 

Danny Cross

Bunny
Reaction score
31
Ok but wouldnt you wonder where your 4 yr old grandaughter is and go looking for her, they said it took a feew mimutes.

Why would anyone hand a 4 year old hot coffee ....i would ask where they were sitting and bring it or have the child bring up an adult. Kids are clumsy and easily distracted.
 

Inflicted

Currently inactive
Reaction score
63
Have you been in a MacD lately? I don't know about around the world, but where I'm from they barely care about the customers.

It's like they ask for your mean and hand it to you, they avoid eye contact most of the time (probably because they are all black and I'm white, with no offense im not a racist) and dont even comment when I take or complete an order.
They care more about if I'm getting an Upsize, more than my opinion on the food or the service.

I'm not really surprised that the coffee was handed to the child, more surprised that somebody didn't expect such a thing as it getting burned to happen :/
 

The Helper

Necromancy Power over 9000
Staff member
Reaction score
1,688
McDonalds has really focused on its coffee lately to fight Starbucks. Sounds about right that another suit would pop up based on how careless people are with coffee and all the big bucks McDonalds has been banking lately.
 

FireCat

Oh Shi.. Don't wake the tiger!
Reaction score
530
Why would anyone hand a 4 year old hot coffee
Yeah! Well, you don’t need to be Einstein to understand that Coffee/Tea whatever are freaking hot.
But the child's grandmother should have kept an eye on the child also.
 

The Helper

Necromancy Power over 9000
Staff member
Reaction score
1,688
McDonalds person is making minimum wage and could possibly be their first job. They have training though, but still it does not take Einstein to work at McDonalds and when you go there you should not expect Einstein.
 

Danny Cross

Bunny
Reaction score
31
McDonalds person is making minimum wage and could possibly be their first job. They have training though, but still it does not take Einstein to work at McDonalds and when you go there you should not expect Einstein.
In my opinion, I would expect common sense though. I mean to me as i said both parties are at fault for different reasons but handing a 4 year old a hot coffee to me it just plain stupid(I wouldnt hand my 6 year old sis a hot beverage), But the grandmother obviously not paying attention to her wouldnt be taking my kids out again. A 4 year old should always be in eyesight as far as I'm concerned.

Inflicted said:
Have you been in a MacD lately? I don't know about around the world, but where I'm from they barely care about the customers.

It's like they ask for your mean and hand it to you, they avoid eye contact most of the time (probably because they are all black and I'm white, with no offense im not a racist) and dont even comment when I take or complete an order.
They care more about if I'm getting an Upsize, more than my opinion on the food or the service.

I'm not really surprised that the coffee was handed to the child, more surprised that somebody didn't expect such a thing as it getting burned to happen :/
Actually the ones by where we live are really nice, There is one in the walmart and one right out side the base.
But in all retrospect they could be trained to be that way cause they deal with a lot of the military families here.
 

The Helper

Necromancy Power over 9000
Staff member
Reaction score
1,688
They have a company wide training program and coffee handling is part of it.
 

The Helper

Necromancy Power over 9000
Staff member
Reaction score
1,688
They will use the company policy to try and confine the damages. It is probably individual fault here and they have insurance that covers that. Trust me, they will settle with this lady. No way they are taking it to court like they did last time and lose for multi-million dollars.
 

The Helper

Necromancy Power over 9000
Staff member
Reaction score
1,688
That is easy to do. Personal negligence is abound in minimum wage environments. The corporate idea here is to insulate and say it is not a company problem but individual negligence and covered by liability insurance and then settle for a lower amount.
 

camelCase

The Case of the Mysterious Camel.
Reaction score
362
I don't know about you guys..
But, if a kid was smart and brave enough to ask me for coffee, I'd expect that the kid is smart enough to handle it.

Just saying; this is another one of those edge cases.
 

The Helper

Necromancy Power over 9000
Staff member
Reaction score
1,688
Handle this this cup of flaming hot liquid pain that has not been secured correctly - little one. Enjoy and come back soon! People literally go around to chains like this and wait for people to make mistakes. They do it or they will soon do it, it will become like a business probably.

I bet a certain percentage of people would give that kid the coffee every time and if everyone sent there kids to ask then there might be more accidents.
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.

      The Helper Discord

      Members online

      No members online now.

      Affiliates

      Hive Workshop NUON Dome World Editor Tutorials

      Network Sponsors

      Apex Steel Pipe - Buys and sells Steel Pipe.
      Top