(apologies to all in the humour forum - not funny)
The McDonald's Hot Coffee lawsuit was much more than meets the eye and is an interesting example of consumer advocacy.
Mcdonald's was serving boiling hot coffee to people in their cars, in a "bendy" easily deformed cup covered by a flimsy plastic lid. A safety nightmare.
Many many people had this open on them as they were driving out, causing severe burns to their groin and private parts (you can imagine a severe burn in this area and the consequences).
These resulted in years of permanent disability, skin grafting, disfigurement, dysfunction and medical care.
McDonald's was well aware of this issue (as proven in the lawsuit) but at the time did not change their practice (i.e to serve hot but not boiling hot coffee) to people in their cars in flimsy cups.
McDonald's continues to sell very hot coffee (80-90 degrees), hotter than competitors and the recommended serving temperature, but has improved their cups and lids.
