66. Don't Sue over Spilled Coffee? - Stella Liebeck v. McDonald's

This week Nathalie kicks off our theme of cheaters! In 1992, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck spilled coffee on herself at a McDonald's drive thru in Albuquerque. Stella then sued McDonald's and was awarded $3 million in punitive damages. Although it wasn't breaking the law, in court of public opinion many have deemed Stella to be a cheater of the system. However, this story isn't quite as it appears. Nathalie takes us through what actually happened the day of the incident. Many believed Stella was irresponsible, that she was driving while drinking coffee and she spilled it on herself. This was not true, Stella was the passenger in a car that wasn't moving at the time of the spill. The coffee was served at a temperature that could cause severe burns in a matter of seconds. Stella didn't even want to take the case to trial, all she wanted was to settle for the cost of her injuries and for lost income. Listen now to hear more about Stella's story! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants https://www.tortmuseum.org/liebeck-v-mcdonalds/ https://www.caoc.org/?pg=facts