FIGHTING BACK - YOU'VE BEEN LIED TO: STELLA LIEBECK AND THE McDONALD'S HOT COFFEE CASE

About this episode

The episode explores the distorted narrative surrounding the Stella Liebeck v. McDonald's case and the implications of corporate negligence.

A 79-year-old grandmother. Third-degree burns across 16 percent of her body . Eight days in the hospital. And a corporation that spent millions making her the punchline. Garret Fisher takes on one of the most successfully distorted stories in American legal history: Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants. Almost everything the public thinks it knows about this case is wrong — and that's not an accident. McDonald's coffee in 1992 was served 30 to 40 degrees hotter than any competitor, hot enough to cause third-degree burns in under three seconds. The company had received more than 700 burn complaints. Stella Liebeck asked for $20,000 to cover her medical bills. McDonald's offered $800. What happened next — in the courtroom and in the press — is a masterclass in how corporations use public relations to rewrite the story of their own negligence. Join our new FB groups page here. Take the poll! Join the Daily Crime & Justice community on social media! We're building a passionate group of true crime enthusiasts who love diving deep into the most shocking cases in America. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram by searching "Daily Crime & Justice" on either platform. You'll get…

People in this episode

Host: Garret Fisher

Topics covered

• legal history
• corporate negligence
• public relations
• true crime
• hot coffee case

Keywords

• Stella Liebeck
• McDonald's
• hot coffee
• third-degree burns
• legal case
• public perception
• corporate responsibility

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: McDonald's Restaurants

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