McDonald's is sued by Mable Childress, who is in her 80s, after she suffered 'severe burns' from fast-food giant's coffee

A San Francisco McDonald's is being sued by a woman in her 80s after she claims she received 'severe burns' from scalding hot coffee that fell on her lap from an unsecured lid. 

Mable Childress filed the suit against the fast-food giant for physical pain and emotional distress. She asks for an unspecified amount of money - but lawyers said it was in the 'seven figures' range. 

In June, she was allegedly served scalding hot coffee with the lid lightly closed by employees at the drive-through of 1100 Fillmore Street in San Francisco. When she attempted to drink the coffee, the lid opened and fell all over her groin and legs. 

Childress claims she suffered third-degree burns to her groin, legs and abdomen due to the employees' 'failure to properly secure the coffee cup lid.'

The lawsuit also claims that Childress spent 20-25 minutes waiting for a manager to assist her but no one at the Fillmore McDonald's offered help.

Mable Childress was allegedly served scalding hot coffee with the lid lightly closed by employees at the drive-through of 1100 Fillmore Street in San Francisco. When she attempted to drink the coffee, the lid opened and fell all over her groin and legs

She asks for an unspecified amount of money as a result of the June 2023 incident 

Her lawyer, Dylan Hackett, blasted McDonald's for the incident. 

'She was injured severely from McDonald’s negligence,' Hackett told SFGate. 'They did not properly cover the cup of coffee, and the coffee was also scalding.

'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.'

MailOnline.com has reached out to Hackett for further information about the lawsuit.  

Peter Ou, the owner and operator of the San Francisco franchise told TODAY.com: 'My restaurants have strict food safety protocols in place, including training crew to ensure lids on hot beverages are secure. 

'We take every customer complaint seriously — and when Ms. Childress reported her experience to us later that day, our employees and management team spoke to her within a few minutes and offered assistance. We’re reviewing this new legal claim in detail.'

The incident isn't the first time McDonald's has faces lawsuits over hot food. 

In July 2023, McDonald's paid $800,000 to a Florida mom after her daughter received second-degree burns from a piping hot McNugget that fell on her lap in 2019.

The jury reached the verdict after less than two hours of deliberation and allotted $400,000 in damages for the past four years, and $400,000 for the future.

An image of Philana Holmes being handed the Happy Meals moments before her daughter was burned

The family's attorney had asked for an award of $15million. 

The mother of the child, Philana Holmes, said she was happy that the court had been receptive to her daughter's story, adding she felt the jury's award was fair.

'I’m happy with that. I honestly had no expectations, so this is more than fair for me,' she told reporters outside the courtroom.'

Holmes testified her daughter Olivia, now eight years old, calls the scar on her inner thigh her 'nugget' and hopes to get it removed. 

Holmes and her daughter Olivia listen to the final witness in their case at the Broward County Courthouse. A separate jury determined weeks ago that McDonald's and the franchise owner of the drive thru could be held responsible for the burn

But the most famous lawsuit the fast-food chain has ever faced was by Stella Liebeck in 1992. 

Stella Liebeck, then 79,  sustained third-degree burns when a hot coffee from a New Mexico-based McDonald’s spilled onto her lap. She was severely burned on her groin and legs and spent more than a week in the hospital. Liebeck initially requested $20,000 from McDonald’s for her hospital expenses. 

When McDonald’s refused, the case went to trial and a jury awarded her $2.7 million in punitive damages.

The jury found that the coffee was served nearly 40 degrees hotter than coffee served by other restaurants at the time.

Ultimately, a judge reduced Liebeck's $2.7 million award to $480,000 and then the two parties later settled for a confidential amount.