Stella Liebeck was the passenger of a vehicle operated by her grandson who stopped at a McDonald’s restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her grandson stopped the car after receiving coffee at the drive through window. Mrs. Liebeck knowingly placed a full cup of hot coffee between her knees and removed the lid to add cream and sugar. By removing the lid in an unsafe manner, she spilled the coffee in her lap, suffering third-degree burns to her lap and buttocks. In the trial, her lawyer stated the restaurant knowingly served the coffee at a temperature of between 180 and 190 degrees. Although this is true, Mrs. Liebeck should have had the common sense not to attempt to remove the lid of the cup between her legs, which I feel was a major
