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Products Liability Keyed Owen, 8th Ed.
McMahon v. Bunn-O-Matic Corp.
Citation:
150 F.3d 651 (1998)Facts
During a break from a long-distance auto trip, Jack McMahon purchased coffee from a mini-mart. Jack asked his wife Angelina to remove the plastic lid while he drove. Angelina decided to pour some coffee into a smaller cup that would be easier for Jack to handle. During this process, the coffee spilled onto her lap, causing second and third-degree burns that resulted in pain for months and permanent scarring on her left thigh and lower abdomen. The coffee was brewed at 195°F and held at 179°F by a Bunn-O-Matic coffee maker. The McMahons claimed the coffee maker was defectively designed because it maintained coffee at excessively high temperatures that could cause severe burns. They also alleged Bunn failed to warn consumers about the severity of burns that hot coffee could cause. Both McMahons acknowledged in depositions that they valued “hotness” in coffee, knew it could burn, and took precautions as a result.
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