A jury in Florida awarded the family of an 8-year-old girl $800,000 (approximately NIS 2,896,168) in damages after the girl received second-degree burns from a McDonald’s chicken nugget, according to media reports from July 19.
The girl, named as Olivia Caraballo by The New York Post, was 4 years old at the time she received the burn. She had opened the happy meal while sat in the back of the car, where the nugget burnt her skin, leaving a mark.
Caraballo’s family had initially sued for $15 million, but after two hours of deliberation, the jury decided on the lower amount of $800,000.
'Unreasonably hot chicken nugget'
The chicken nugget that burnt Caraballo was 200 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Caraballo’s parents who said that their daughter had been served “unreasonably and dangerously hot” nuggets, according to the Post. Although, McDonald’s lawyers argued the nugget wouldn’t have surpassed 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
The young girl had dropped the nugget, which landed on her lap and became lodged between her leg and the car seat she was sat in. The nugget was pressed against the girl’s leg for approximately two minutes, leaving her thigh “disfigured and scarred” from burns, according to the Post.
The jurors ultimately found McDonald's liable for negligence and failing to warn customers about the risks associated with hot food.
“I’m actually just happy they listened to Olivia’s voice and the jury was able to decide a fair judgment, I’m happy with that,” Caraballo’s mother Philana Holmes said, according to NBC6.
"This momentous decision brings meaningful closure to an arduous and protracted legal process," the attorneys said in a statement shared by NBC Miami. "Having previously established the defendants, Upchurch Foods Inc and McDonald's USA LLC, as liable for their wrongful actions, this verdict reaffirms that they must now face the consequences and provide full justice. Despite years of denying any fault and, during this trial, attempting to undermine the extent of Olivia's suffering in the eyes of the community, their efforts have been superseded by the jury's determination."