A B.C. woman is suing McDonald's Canada after a cup of hot coffee allegedly spilled on her lap and burned her thighs, abdomen and genitals last year.
Surrey resident Nansy Saad claims the coffee's lid came off while a McDonald's employee was passing it to her at a drive-through on Nov. 1, 2011, and the scalding contents fell into her car.
According to a statement of claim filed this month in B.C. Supreme Court, Saad continues to suffer pain and suffering as a result of her injuries, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and body dysmorphic syndrome.
The suit does not say how severely Saad was burned, and her lawyer could not be reached for comment.
Saad alleges the employee, identified in the suit only as Jane Doe, didn't fasten the lid of the cup properly before handing it to her and the company failed to reasonably prevent her from getting hurt.
She is seeking relief for loss of income, earning capacity and past and future health care costs. None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been proven in court, and McDonald's has yet to file a statement of defence.
The case follows a famous U.S. liability suit from 1994, in which 79-year-old Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns after spilling a McDonald's coffee in her lap while parked outside the restaurant.
The case sparked extensive media coverage, and was dismissed by many as frivolous and greedy, though Liebeck -- who required skin-grafting on her burns -- initially only filed to have her medical expenses covered.
Similar lawsuits against McDonald's followed for various alleged scalding injuries.
