SF McDonald’s sued by woman alleging ‘severe burns’ from coffee

A San Francisco McDonald’s is being sued after a woman allegedly suffered “severe burns” from a scalding cup of coffee, according to the lawsuit first spotted by the San Francisco Standard.

The lawsuit, which was filed in San Francisco Superior Court on Sept. 14, claims the incident took place at the McDonald’s at 1100 Fillmore St. back in June. The plaintiff, Mable Childress, allegedly purchased a cup of coffee in the drive-thru and says employees failed to properly secure the coffee cup lid, causing it to open and spill hot coffee onto her body. The incident “caused her to suffer from severe burns and emotional distress” with scarring on her groin area and pain that she continues to experience today, according to the lawsuit.

“She was injured severely from McDonald’s negligence,” Childress’ lawyer, Dylan Hackett, told SFGATE. “They did not properly cover the cup of coffee, and the coffee was also scalding.”

The lawsuit also alleges that Childress, who is in her 80s, attempted to ask McDonald’s employees for help, but they “ignored her.”

“She’s an elderly lady, and she was waiting for over an hour to speak to a manager, and a manager never spoke to her,” Hackett said. “They didn’t give her the time of day. … Nobody helped her whatsoever. She had to get to the hospital herself.”

Childress is seeking seven figures in damages, Hackett said.

Back in 1994, McDonald’s was sued for another highly publicized coffee-related incident. Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman, sued the fast food chain for damages after spilling McDonald’s coffee onto her lap resulted in third-degree burns. A jury found McDonald’s 80% responsible for the incident and awarded Liebeck $2.7 million in punitive damages; after an appeal, however, the parties settled for an undisclosed amount.

SFGATE reached out to McDonald’s for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.