B.C. man burned by 'scalding hot' McDonald's coffee with unsecured lid, lawsuit alleges
A mental health support worker from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has filed a lawsuit against McDonald's Canada alleging he was injured by a "scalding hot" coffee while stopped at a drive-thru window.
An employee working at the McDonald's on Still Creek Drive in Burnaby handed Lok Fai Fung the beverage without properly securing the lid, according to the customer's civil claim, which was filed last week in B.C. Supreme Court.
The lawsuit alleges the worker also "let go of the cup" before Fung could grip it, and that the contents then spilled into his lap, leaving him with burns to his thigh and wrist.
The extent of his injuries are not detailed in the court documents.
Fung has accused McDonald's of serving the coffee too hot, of failing to warn him about the temperature of the beverage, and of failing to properly train its employees, among other things.
He's seeking unspecified compensation for health-care costs, loss of earning capacity and other damages in connection with the incident.
None of Fung's claims have been proven in court. McDonald's Canada has yet to file a statement of defence in the case, or respond to a request for comment from CTV News.
The alleged incident happened in January 2021 – approximately 29 years after Stella Liebeck was famously injured by a McDonald's coffee in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was awarded millions of dollars in compensation.
Despite her victory, and the fact that she suffered third-degree burns, Liebeck's case was widely mocked in popular culture, labelled an example of a frivolous lawsuit, and used to promote tort reform in the U.S.
That case and the common mischaracterizations of its merits have since been re-examined in a number of documentaries and podcasts.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.