Who was the plaintiff in the famous 1994 McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit?

Stella Liebeck was the plaintiff in the famous 1994 McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit.

Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants arose after 79-year-old Stella Liebeck spilled coffee purchased at a McDonald’s drive-through in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on February 27, 1992. She suffered severe third-degree burns and required hospitalization and skin grafting. The lawsuit reached trial in 1994.

The case became widely known as the “McDonald’s coffee case,” but popular retellings often omit important details. Liebeck was a passenger in a parked car, not driving, and the jury heard evidence that McDonald’s served coffee at roughly 180°F and had received many prior burn reports. The jury found McDonald’s 80% responsible and Liebeck 20% responsible.

The jury initially awarded $200,000 in compensatory damages, reduced to $160,000, plus $2.7 million in punitive damages. The judge reduced the punitive award, and the parties later settled confidentially. Marcia Clark, Linda McCartney and Erin Brockovich were not parties to the case.