Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico π( 1992)
Story:
Stella Liebeck, 79, ordered coffee at a McDonald's drive-thru. While parked, she tried to add cream and sugar, the cup tipped, spilling nearly boiling coffee β (180β190Β°F) onto her lap. Her sweatpants trapped the scalding liquid against her skin, causing third-degree burns that melted flesh and required skin grafts, hospitalization, and two years of painful recovery. When she asked McDonald's to cover her $20,000 in medical bills and lower their serving temperature, they offered $800 and shrugged. πΈ
Twist:
In court, it was revealed McDonald's had ignored over 700 burn complaints in the previous decade, prioritizing profit over safety. A jury awarded Stella $2.7 million in punitive damages,later reduced to about $600,000. But McDonald's used its media influence to paint her as frivolous and greedy, turning public opinion against her. Yet Stella's quiet suffering sparked lasting change: warning labels on cups, lower serving temperatures, and stronger consumer protections worldwide. She wasn't a punchline,she was a pioneer whose pain made everyday life safer for millions, proving that sometimes justice is served not in a courtroom, but in the first careful sip of a coffee that no longer burns. π