During the trial it was revealed that McDonald’s knew that heating their coffee to this temperature would be dangerous, but they did it anyways because it would save them money. When you serve coffee that is too hot to drink, it will take much longer for a person to drink their coffee, which means that McDonald’s will not have to give out as many free refills of coffee. This policy by the fast food chain is the reason the jury awarded $2.7 million dollars in punitive damages in the McDonald’s hot coffee case. Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant for their inappropriate business practice.

    • tslnox@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      Stop what? Brewing coffee with hot water?

      If they started waiting until it cools down there would be massive complaints that it takes them too long.

      • bemenaker@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Serving as hot as they did. Try reading the legal case. It is common everywhere for there to be a maximum temp you are allowed to serve hot drinks at for this reason. The store was cited multiple times for serving over that limit.

      • assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’ve spilled freshly brewed coffee at home on myself, and I just needed to run my hand under the faucet for a bit and then clean up the mess.

        This woman needed skin grafts from third degree burns. Saying the coffee was too hot is an absolute understatement.

        • Blue@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          The other day I put my coffee(that I just made) in the fridge door and without thinking proceed to bend and try and grab the milk in the fridge’s door bottom, well I spilled that shit in my ear, neck and cheek, screamed like a motherfucker and ran to the shower.

          The area was red for a day or two and I used aloe vera, that Mctrash coffee was dangerous hot.

      • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Except for the YEARS of McD’s own managers complaining about the excessive temp and requesting to reduce it.

        It caused third degree burns. I’ve spilt half a pot of fresh food-service coffee on my arm and had both first and second-degree burns, but not third. You know, because food-service coffee makers all heat to the same temp, except for McD’s, which has their’s set much higher. (Go research why McD’s milkshake machines are always down, despite being the same machines everyone else uses).

        Having worked in many restaurants and some fast-food joints, they’re all the same, and don’t seem to have the supposed problem you claim.