One should assume it'll be hot, yes. It should not, however, be so hot that it scalds off your flesh.
She didn't sue over her spilling it she sued over the irresponsible temperature it was at, a temperature so hot that it could not be drank at all, hotter than it could be drank at, and a temperature that had already caused injuries to other people. It's irresponsible for a company to serve a substance to someone that is just shy of boiling as it can be assumed that spills can, and will, happen.
That's the crux of the whole issue, not the spill itself but the unreasonably high temperature it was served to her at. McDonald's "COFFEE IS HOT!" warning wasn't nearly enough of one to say that "It's so hot you'll land in the hospital for a week undergoing soul-crushing surgeries."
Ever eat at a Mexican restaurant and get served your plate and have the server say, "Hot plate, be careful!" and then touch the plate and find that it's hot, but not so hot that it'd cause serious burns? That's "hot."
The coffee served to this woman? Well, well, beyond "hot."
She didn't sue over her spilling it she sued over the irresponsible temperature it was at, a temperature so hot that it could not be drank at all, hotter than it could be drank at, and a temperature that had already caused injuries to other people. It's irresponsible for a company to serve a substance to someone that is just shy of boiling as it can be assumed that spills can, and will, happen.
That's the crux of the whole issue, not the spill itself but the unreasonably high temperature it was served to her at. McDonald's "COFFEE IS HOT!" warning wasn't nearly enough of one to say that "It's so hot you'll land in the hospital for a week undergoing soul-crushing surgeries."
Ever eat at a Mexican restaurant and get served your plate and have the server say, "Hot plate, be careful!" and then touch the plate and find that it's hot, but not so hot that it'd cause serious burns? That's "hot."
The coffee served to this woman? Well, well, beyond "hot."
