B.C. man burned by ‘scalding hot’ McDonald’s coffee with unsecured lid, lawsuit alleges

A psychological well being help employee from B.C.’s Lower Mainland has filed a lawsuit in opposition to McDonald’s Canada alleging he was injured by a “scalding hot” espresso whereas stopped at a drive-thru window.

An worker working on the McDonald’s on Still Creek Drive in Burnaby handed Lok Fai Fung the beverage with out correctly securing the lid, based on the client’s civil declare, which was filed final week in B.C. Supreme Court.

The lawsuit alleges the employee additionally “let go of the cup” earlier than Fung may grip it, and that the contents then spilled into his lap, leaving him with burns to his thigh and wrist.

The extent of his accidents are usually not detailed within the court docket paperwork.

Fung has accused McDonald’s of serving the espresso too sizzling, of failing to warn him in regards to the temperature of the beverage, and of failing to correctly practice its staff, amongst different issues.

He’s in search of unspecified compensation for health-care prices, lack of incomes capability and different damages in reference to the incident.

None of Fung’s claims have been confirmed in court docket. McDonald’s Canada has but to file a press release of defence within the case, or reply to a request for remark from CTV News.

The alleged incident occurred in January 2021 – roughly 29 years after Stella Liebeck was famously injured by a McDonald’s espresso in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was awarded tens of millions of {dollars} in compensation.

Despite her victory, and the truth that she suffered third-degree burns, Liebeck’s case was broadly mocked in common tradition, labelled an instance of a frivolous lawsuit, and used to advertise tort reform within the U.S.

That case and the widespread mischaracterizations of its deserves have since been re-examined in a variety of documentaries and podcasts.