[southernstar]

Agreed perfectlap - precisely why I expect that there will be a lawsuit and that it will be settled. As far as the MacDonald's case is concerned, I still find it hard to believe that anyone would open a cup of coffee between their bare legs and not realize that it was hot. Coffee made with a french press is just a couple of minutes past boiling, as is percolated coffee. I don't care how much they nuked her coffee, I mean, do we really need warnings that "coffee is hot"! Keeping in mind that McDonald's cups are cardboard and not styrofoam, the outside of the cup alone is enough to cause burns if held for any period (which is why some people ask for double cups). What about tea? Don't they pour boiling water in the cup with a tea bag? Whether the plaintiff was an old (but either negligent or stupid) woman, or a young one with the same traits, I still think their verdict stands for the same proposition: juries who have sympathy for a plaintiff will tend to award them money due to that sympathy - and large amounts of money if the defendant is perceived as having large pockets.