McDonald’s is being sued over a hot coffee spill, again.
This time, a San Francisco location is being accused of serving a “scalding” cup of coffee with an improperly attached lid, which allegedly resulted in the coffee pouring out on plaintiff Mable Childress’ body and causing “severe burns” after she tried drinking it.
The lawsuit, filed last week, alleged that the elderly woman is suffering from “physical pains, emotional distress and other damages.” The restaurant’s negligence was a “substantial factor” for her injuries, it alleged.
Childress also said in the lawsuit that the restaurant employees “refused” to help her, a point that the McDonald’s denied.
I don’t think I understand how it can be hotter than 100 celcius.
I’m not defending McDonald’s here, they can rot.
Like, coffee is mostly water, and water boils at atmospheric pressure at 100c. Milk boils slightly more than 100. I guess the lid would pressurise the steam a little? Maybe the coffee grinds hold the heat far more than the water? I wouldn’t have thought it would be diluted too much to make a difference.
I guess this is a stupid question, because it happened. But how can boiling water cause third degree burns in the quantity of 500ml? I thought it’d have to be much more than that and very prolonged?
Half a liter of boiling water will absolutely do damage, especially if you’re restrained to a seat and can’t get away from it. The water that comes out of your tap at home is probably only in the 140s, max, and that’ll do some damage.
I’m also not certain anyone said the water was greater than 100c. I think the seminal case involved water that was 180-190 degrees F or something, and that it’s standard to be closer to 150 or so, which is essentially as hot as your tap gets at home.
OK cool.
It was me that said it can’t go above boiling, 100. I was just under the impression that it would burn of course, but third degree burns was surprising to me. Burning away the epidermis and nerves of the skin entirely seemed to me to require a much higher temperature. I guess I’m wrong, probably because of clothing holding the heat around the skin.
Thanks.
It’s prolonged because the spill happened on clothing, so the boiling water is held on to the skin instead of just running off.
That makes sense. Thanks.
I know your question about the burns is already answered by others but its important to consider that the generally accepted optimal temp for extracting the flavour from coffee beans is approx. 90-95°C, and hotter gives the coffee a more ‘burnt’ or less favourable flavour, so your coffee shouldnt be that hot. Further to this if you drink your coffee with milk, the milk is frothed at about 65°C which would bring the overall temp down a little more.
This is all in an ideal world where Maccas actually gives a fuck if their coffee is ‘good’