McDonald's Settles Another Hot-Beverage Lawsuit

Proving Rust Cohle's belief that time is a flat circle, McDonald's is once again wrapping up a lawsuit over a spilled hot beverage. In her suit filed before the Los Angeles Superior Court, Lynne Gipson alleged McDonald's employees deliver hot water and tea in a negligent manner to drive-through customers, reports My News LA.

Instead of going to trial, McDonald's opted to settle. Terms have not been announced, but hopefully Gipson is getting more than free hot water at all of McDonald's restaurants. In a prepared statement, McDonald's spokesman Max Gallegos Jr. said safety is the company's top priority: "Nothing is more important to us than the safe operation of our restaurants, especially the safety of our customers."

The incident leading to the lawsuit happened in 2012 when a travel lid popped off a cup of hot water, "spilling the scalding water and causing second-degree serious burns on Ms. Gipson's thigh and stomach," according to court documents. "The drive-thru attendant stated that she was sorry because the cups were new and were 'being tried out.'"

The case is a second act to the famous 1994 lawsuit that awarded a New Mexico woman $2.86 million after she spilled a cup of hot coffee from McDonald's on her lap. Seventy-nine-year-old Stella Liebeck was hospitalized for eight days while she underwent skin grafting, followed by two years of medical treatment. Perhaps the result of that suit inspired McDonald's to settle this time around, instead of letting the new case go to trial.

McDonald's has faced a few lawsuits this year. In January, employees at a Virginia location alleged racism, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination, and in June an employee in Connecticut alleged she was discriminated against and fired because she was gay.

Take a look at the court documents for Gipson's lawsuit against the chain below.

Gipson vs. McDonald's