The McDonald's Scalding Coffee Case. Facts about this famous case seem to get completely twisted into urban legends in order to justify complaints of reckless lawsuits. Did you know Stella Liebeck wasn't driving the car? Did you know the car was standing still at the time of the spill? Did you know the coffee was 185 degrees F? Did you know that Liebeck suffered third degree burns over her thighs and genital areas, and was hospitalized for eight days? And that McDonald's' own research concluded a likelihood of spills and the dangerousness of the temperature, but no changes were made in how the restaurant chain handled hot coffee? (Thanks David.)