I hate how much the McDonalds lawsuit is used to debase the legal system as frivolous "jackpot justice"
Her jury award was 2.7 million. The judge reduced it to 640k, but the parties settled rather than appealing more, presumably for less than 640k. The coffee WAS way too hot. 40 degrees (f) above industry standard, so hot it could cause 3rd degree burns in 2 seconds.
This case is trotted out as an example of how the little guy keeps the poor multi-billion dollar corporations at bay using frivolous lawsuits, when really it should be an example of how even when everyone agrees on the facts, even when the law is on the little guy's side, the corporation will bend them over and at the very least get more positive publicity than their piddly settlement money could possibly buy.
This is the story of how McDonalds nearly killed a woman, she sued begrudgingly because she couldn't afford her medical bills, she won, and somehow McDonalds is the victim.