Marine
01-16-2002, 3:02am
Woman sues over scalded breasts
McDonald's faces lawsuit over hot chocolate
HALIFAX -- A Nova Scotia woman who claims she scalded her breasts while drinking hot chocolate at a McDonald's restaurant in London, Ontario is suing for $50,000.
In a negligence lawsuit filed against the restaurant in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Mary H. Corbin of Admiral Rock, N.S., claims last Oct. 12 she ordered a hot chocolate from a McDonald's in London. The cup apparently had a loose lid.
"When I raised the drink to my mouth, the lid flew off and the entire contents spewed out, whereby I was scalded by the hot chocolate from the centre of my breasts down to my navel," Corbin, who is representing herself, wrote in a statement of claim.
"I claim that the lady who had served me was negligent, for when she had placed the cap on my drink, she had neglected to make sure the cap was fitted properly, thus allowing the contents to spill on me and scald my body."
Because of the scald, Corbin claims she was unable to wear a bra for five days and her jeans could not be pulled up to her waist for five days.
She says her husband bought some salve that she applied to her burns for five days, allowing her skin to heal without blistering or scarring.
Under general damages, Corbin is seeking $20,000 for pain and suffering, $5,000 for embarrassment, humiliation and emotional distress, $85 for damaged clothing and $9.50 for the salve and hot chocolate.
As well, she is seeking $25,000 in punitive damages.
She has offered to negotiate a settlement within the next 10 days.
"I will not expect anything short of $20,000," she wrote.
McDonald's has 20 days after it is served with the claim to respond.
A spokesperson for McDonald's Restaurants of Canada could not be reached.
Last year in Knoxville, Tenn., a woman who claimed she suffered a second-degree burn on her chin from a hot McDonald's hamburger pickle in 1999 settled her lawsuit against the chain. Contending the pickle was defective and unreasonably dangerous to the customer, that woman sought $110,000 US, while her husband sought $15,000.
In 1994, a New Mexico woman was awarded $2.7 million after suing McDonald's for burns she suffered when coffee she bought at a drive-through window spilled in her lap. A judge later reduced the award to less than $500,000
McDonald's faces lawsuit over hot chocolate
HALIFAX -- A Nova Scotia woman who claims she scalded her breasts while drinking hot chocolate at a McDonald's restaurant in London, Ontario is suing for $50,000.
In a negligence lawsuit filed against the restaurant in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Mary H. Corbin of Admiral Rock, N.S., claims last Oct. 12 she ordered a hot chocolate from a McDonald's in London. The cup apparently had a loose lid.
"When I raised the drink to my mouth, the lid flew off and the entire contents spewed out, whereby I was scalded by the hot chocolate from the centre of my breasts down to my navel," Corbin, who is representing herself, wrote in a statement of claim.
"I claim that the lady who had served me was negligent, for when she had placed the cap on my drink, she had neglected to make sure the cap was fitted properly, thus allowing the contents to spill on me and scald my body."
Because of the scald, Corbin claims she was unable to wear a bra for five days and her jeans could not be pulled up to her waist for five days.
She says her husband bought some salve that she applied to her burns for five days, allowing her skin to heal without blistering or scarring.
Under general damages, Corbin is seeking $20,000 for pain and suffering, $5,000 for embarrassment, humiliation and emotional distress, $85 for damaged clothing and $9.50 for the salve and hot chocolate.
As well, she is seeking $25,000 in punitive damages.
She has offered to negotiate a settlement within the next 10 days.
"I will not expect anything short of $20,000," she wrote.
McDonald's has 20 days after it is served with the claim to respond.
A spokesperson for McDonald's Restaurants of Canada could not be reached.
Last year in Knoxville, Tenn., a woman who claimed she suffered a second-degree burn on her chin from a hot McDonald's hamburger pickle in 1999 settled her lawsuit against the chain. Contending the pickle was defective and unreasonably dangerous to the customer, that woman sought $110,000 US, while her husband sought $15,000.
In 1994, a New Mexico woman was awarded $2.7 million after suing McDonald's for burns she suffered when coffee she bought at a drive-through window spilled in her lap. A judge later reduced the award to less than $500,000