McDonald’s will pay record compensation to 8-year-old girl. A verdict has been passed in a famous case
A hot nugget from a Happy Meal caused burns to a 4-year-old girl. McDonald’s must pay a record compensation of PLN 3.36 million.
An inconspicuous meal ordered from a popular fast food chain led to a lawsuit and a record compensation payment. The story of Olivia Caraballo, who suffered second-degree burns from hot chicken nuggets at the age of four.
Eating accident
The event took place in 2019 in Florida. Little Olivia, while picking up a Happy Meal at McDrive, was seriously injured when a piece of chicken fell out of the box and got stuck between her thigh and the seat belt. The hot temperature of the food caused painful burns that left scars. The girl’s family immediately took legal action, claiming that McDonald’s should better inform customers about the temperature of its products.
After a four-year legal battle, a jury found that both McDonald’s and the local franchise owner were at fault. Olivia was awarded compensation in the amount of PLN 400,000. dollars to cover existing damages and an additional PLN 400,000. for the future. The total amount was approximately PLN 3.36 million.
Olivia’s mother, Philana Holmes, expressed her satisfaction with the verdict. “I am glad that they listened to my daughter’s voice and issued a fair verdict. I am very satisfied, although I had no specific expectations,” she told the media.
McDonald’s tried to reach a settlement, offering the family $156,000. dollars, but the proposal was rejected. Olivia’s lawyers argued that the chain should have better warned consumers about the risks associated with the high temperatures of the food served.
Hot food, hot problems
This is not the first time McDonald’s has had to deal with the consequences of not adequately informing customers. One of the most famous cases was the case of Stella Liebeck 30 years ago. A 79-year-old woman suffered third-degree burns when hot coffee spilled on her body. After the incident, warnings “Caution, drink may be hot” appeared on McDonald’s cups.
Olivia’s story shows that despite previous experiences, the network still faces similar problems. Stella’s case and many others prove that even such popular products as coffee or nuggets can pose a threat if they are not properly secured or the customer is not warned about the risk.
Although the court’s decision is in Olivia’s favor, the question remains whether McDonald’s will draw lasting lessons from it to avoid similar situations in the future.
