A lawsuit a few years ago made headlines worldwide when a McDonald\'s drive-thro

Question

A lawsuit a few years ago made headlines worldwide when a McDonald's drive-through customer spilled a cup of scalding hot coffee on herself. Claiming the coffee was too hot to be safely consumed in a car, the badly burned 80-year old woman won $2.9 million in court (the judge later reduced the award to $640,000). McDonald's claimed the product was served to the correct specifications and was of proper quality. Further, the cup read "Caution-Contents May Be Hot." McDonald's coffee, at 180 degrees, is substantially hotter (by corporate rule) than typical restaurant coffee, despite hundreds of coffee-scalding complaints in the past 10 years. Similar court cases, incidentally, resulted in smaller verdicts, but again in favor of the plaintiffs. For example, Motor City Bagel Shop was sued for a spilled cup of coffee by a drive-through patron, and Starbucks by a customer who spilled coffee on her own ankle. Are McDonald's, Motor City, and Starbucks at fault in situations such as these? How do quality and ethics enter into these cases? Think about the Mc Donald's lawsuit from the Corporate perspective, as well as the customer's injuries. Should customers accept responsibility for their own actions? NOTE: You can find substantial information online concerning this case if you need more information in order to form your opinion. NOTE: As you buy hot coffee or tea this week, ask the server about the brewing temperature. You may find the answers quite interesting.

Explanation / Answer

Keeping in view the number of such incidents and or accidents resulting in injury, may or may not be on account of customer's negligence, I am of the firm view that the well known brands such as McDonald's, Motor City, and Starbucks are at fault and need to pay extra/ additional attention to the quality and ethics issues, in an exemplanary manner so as to set standards for the safety of the customers even if they lack in paying due attention to the cautions advertised by the sellers of products and services. In the present case it is not expected that an ordinary person may be in a position to handle very hot products and in particularly in case of drive-through when the customer is in a hurry.

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