Dude in London Bar falls down open Dumbwaiter shaft

[ozrocker]

Lucky only a sprained ankle
If it was stateside-guaranteed payoff from a lawsuit.
One guy casually walks over, looks down and shuts the door

http://now.msn.com/man-falls-into-dumbwaiter-shaft

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[zack1234]

How much compensation in the US would he get?
In the UK it would be about £1.52p

[Slate]

How much compensation in the US would he get?
In the UK it would be about £1.52p

  Well we give 1 million US dollars for spilling hot coffee on yourself so..........Depends on the Liars,  um I mean Lawyers skill.

[kotrenin]

  Well we give 1 million US dollars for spilling hot coffee on yourself so..........Depends on the Liars,  um I mean Lawyers skill.

Actually she was awarded $160,000 in compensatory damages and $480,000 in punitive damages (punishment) after asking McDonald's for $20,000 in an attempt at pre-trial settlement. McDonald's only offered $800. Both parties appealed and eventually settled out of court for a sum that is believed to be less then $600,000.

She spent a little over a week in the hospital and required skin grafts because she received 3rd degree burns "to over 6 percent of her body, including her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, and genital and groin areas." We say "hot" to describe the temperature but that is subjective. The temperature was actually 180 degrees which can cause 3rd degree burns in 2 to 7 seconds on contact with the skin. I've seen 3rd degree burns in person, and to know she had asked for only $20,000 to cover medical cost and lost wages is unbelievable to me.

It was also discovered that during the previous 10 years ('82-'92) McDonald's had received over 700 reports of people being burned by their coffee and did nothing to prevent further injuries.  We scratch our collective heads at the caption "old lady burned by hot coffee receives millions" but what we are really doing is accepting the status quo and allowing negligence to persist in our society.

[ozrocker]

How much compensation in the US would he get?
In the UK it would be about £1.52p

Let's say at least 500k to start, especially in NJ.


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[Shuffler]

Actually she was awarded $160,000 in compensatory damages and $480,000 in punitive damages (punishment) after asking McDonald's for $20,000 in an attempt at pre-trial settlement. McDonald's only offered $800. Both parties appealed and eventually settled out of court for a sum that is believed to be less then $600,000.

She spent a little over a week in the hospital and required skin grafts because she received 3rd degree burns "to over 6 percent of her body, including her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, and genital and groin areas." We say "hot" to describe the temperature but that is subjective. The temperature was actually 180 degrees which can cause 3rd degree burns in 2 to 7 seconds on contact with the skin. I've seen 3rd degree burns in person, and to know she had asked for only $20,000 to cover medical cost and lost wages is unbelievable to me.

It was also discovered that during the previous 10 years ('82-'92) McDonald's had received over 700 reports of people being burned by their coffee and did nothing to prevent further injuries.  We scratch our collective heads at the caption "old lady burned by hot coffee receives millions" but what we are really doing is accepting the status quo and allowing negligence to persist in our society.

Stupid people are a protected species in the US. The coffee was fine in the cup... but if you pour it on yourself then you're at fault.

The woman was/is an idiot.

[kotrenin]

Stupid people are a protected species in the US. The coffee was fine in the cup... but if you pour it on yourself then you're at fault.

The woman was/is an idiot.

If 180 degree coffee is going to cause 3rd degree burns on exposed skin in 2 to 7 seconds imagine what it would do to the inside of your mouth and throat. McDonald's had no good reason to be putting 180 degree coffee in a cup and handing it to anyone, idiot or otherwise. What came out of this case was that it was discovered that McDonald's knew that their coffee was too hot to be serving and was not only "not doing anything about it" but were actually requiring their franchises to serve it at this temperature. It was found that McDonald's had done several studies on their serving temperature and also the way in which customers purchased and consumed their products. McDonald's made the argument that their costumers wanted their coffee "hot" but their study did not take into account actual temperature that customers defined as hot. The average home coffee maker serves your coffee at 130-145 degrees.  And yes the jury did find the plaintiff 20% responsible for her own injuries which is why the compensatory damages were lowered from $200,000 to $160,000 or 20%.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

If 180 degree coffee is going to cause 3rd degree burns on exposed skin in 2 to 7 seconds imagine what it would do to the inside of your mouth and throat. McDonald's had no good reason to be putting 180 degree coffee in a cup and handing it to anyone, idiot or otherwise. What came out of this case was that it was discovered that McDonald's knew that their coffee was too hot to be serving and was not only "not doing anything about it" but were actually requiring their franchises to serve it at this temperature. It was found that McDonald's had done several studies on their serving temperature and also the way in which customers purchased and consumed their products. McDonald's made the argument that their costumers wanted their coffee "hot" but their study did not take into account actual temperature that customers defined as hot. The average home coffee maker serves your coffee at 130-145 degrees.  And yes the jury did find the plaintiff 20% responsible for her own injuries which is why the compensatory damages were lowered from $200,000 to $160,000 or 20%.

Hmm actually the optimal temperature for cooking coffee is 92°C which means 197.6°F. A good home brewer like Moccamaster will prepare the coffee at exactly that. So either they serve stale cooled down coffee or fresh hot one.

[100Coogn]

She should of just gotten her medical bills paid IMO.  Didn't she think that the coffees may be hot? Shoulda' new the risk going into it.  Hot coffee + driving = trouble.

Coogan 

[Shuffler]

If 180 degree coffee is going to cause 3rd degree burns on exposed skin in 2 to 7 seconds imagine what it would do to the inside of your mouth and throat. McDonald's had no good reason to be putting 180 degree coffee in a cup and handing it to anyone, idiot or otherwise. What came out of this case was that it was discovered that McDonald's knew that their coffee was too hot to be serving and was not only "not doing anything about it" but were actually requiring their franchises to serve it at this temperature. It was found that McDonald's had done several studies on their serving temperature and also the way in which customers purchased and consumed their products. McDonald's made the argument that their costumers wanted their coffee "hot" but their study did not take into account actual temperature that customers defined as hot. The average home coffee maker serves your coffee at 130-145 degrees.  And yes the jury did find the plaintiff 20% responsible for her own injuries which is why the compensatory damages were lowered from $200,000 to $160,000 or 20%.

I imagine stupid people just gulp their new coffee without checking it first.

[kotrenin]

Hmm actually the optimal temperature for cooking coffee is 92°C which means 197.6°F. A good home brewer like Moccamaster will prepare the coffee at exactly that. So either they serve stale cooled down coffee or fresh hot one.

Cooking coffee yes, but serving coffee no. 130 -145

[kotrenin]

She should of just gotten her medical bills paid IMO.  Didn't she think that the coffees may be hot? Shoulda' new the risk going into it.  Hot coffee + driving = trouble.

Coogan 

this is what she had initially asked for but McD's said no.

[RedBull1]

 

[kotrenin]

I imagine stupid people just gulp their new coffee without checking it first.

Amazingly this what the study found. McD's thought people bought their coffee in the drive thru and took it to work and drank it there, but there own study found that most people drank it right away in their cars. Also she was just trying to add cream and sugar and the cup slipped while she was taking to top off. That is why McD's will add cream and sugar for you.

[guncrasher]

some falls in trap doors are pretty funny.  here's one that happened at wall-greens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG07DqewQN0

you know how many laws were broken in that fall?  you know what happened to the lady?  we just had a safety class where we saw this video.  there's a reason why we have osha.

this isnt about some idiot that fell in a hall.  it's about working conditions.  had it been in the us osha would have been all over that bar and for a good reason. that lady above spent a lot of time in the hospital and is permanently disabled.


semp