Quote:
|
Originally Posted by N80
That may have been the rub for a jury full of brain stems. That means he found that the McDonalds coffee was only 20 degrees hotter than other places! But that's not how some slick attorney sold it is it?
And if that is the 'rub' then it means that that 20 degrees was the difference between McDonalds paying her hospital bill, lost wages and some damages to paying what the world in general feels is an obscene amount of money.
All I can say is that its a pretty good thing that neither I nor 99% of the members here at TBn were on that jury. But then again, for the most part we're not a bunch of drooling buffoons.
And as someone, once said: A jury is a collection of people too stupid to get out of jury duty.  |
Yes the reduction of 20 degrees does make a difference...
According to Andrea Gerlinç—´ excellent Wall Street Journal article, é„* Matter of Degree: How a Jury Decided that a Coffee Spill is Worth $2.9 Million, Sept. 1, 1994, p. A1,
members of the jury learned at the trial that 180-degree coffee like McDonaldç—´ served may produce third-degree burns in about 12 to 15 seconds. Lowering the temperature by 20 degrees (to 160 degrees Fahrenheit) would increase the time for the coffee to produce such a burn to 20 seconds. Those extra 5 to 7 seconds in many cases could provide adequate time to remove the coffee from exposed skin, thereby preventing such burns. Ms. Gerlin also reported that McDonald's reason for serving such hot coffee in its drive-through windows was that, because those who purchased the coffee typically wanted to drive a distance with the coffee, the high initial temperature would keep the coffee hot during the trip.
I'm sorry you feel you are above your civic duty to serve on a jury...
