London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Mother wins legal battle with McDonald's after daughter suffers burns from chicken nugget

Mother wins legal battle with McDonald's after daughter suffers burns from chicken nugget

Philana Holmes told jurors her daughter suffered second-degree burns after a McNugget, bought from a McDonald's in Tamarac, Florida, fell from a Happy Meal on to her upper thigh.

A mother has won a legal battle with McDonald's after her daughter suffered second-degree burns from a hot chicken nugget.

Philana Holmes told jurors that her four-year-old daughter suffered burns to her upper thigh after the McNugget fell from a Happy Meal on to her leg.

In a lawsuit similar to the infamous 1992 McDonald's "Hot Coffee" case, she took the owner of the franchise where she purchased the meal to court in South Florida, claiming negligence.

She also claimed that the fast food giant had failed to warn customers about the "dangerous" temperature of the food.

However, lawyers for McDonald's argued that the nuggets had to be hot to avoid risks of salmonella.

They also argued that the McNuggets were not designed to be pressed between a seat belt and human flesh for more than two minutes.

Jurors found the franchise holder liable for negligence and failure to warn customers about the risk of hot food.

They also found McDonald's USA liable for failing to provide instructions for the safe handling of the food.

However, McDonald's USA was not found to be negligent, and the jury dismissed the argument that the product was defective.

Another jury will now decide on how much McDonald's USA and its franchise owner, Upchurch Foods, will pay the child and her mother.

A spokesperson Upchurch Foods said it was "deeply disappointed" with the verdict.

Philana Holmes's daughter Olivia Caraballo was four years old at the time.


Owner-operator Brent Upchurch said: "The facts show that our restaurant in Tamarac, Florida, did indeed follow those protocols when cooking and serving this Happy Meal."

Jurors heard two days of arguments about the incident, which took place in 2019 when Ms Holmes's daughter, Olivia, was aged four.

She told the court that she bought Happy Meals for her son and daughter at a drive-thru window at a McDonald's in Tamarac, near Fort Lauderdale, and then handed the food to her children, who were in the back seat.

After she drove away, her daughter, who the court heard has autism, started screaming. She pulled over and saw the burn on the girl's leg and took photos on her iPhone.

Both sides agreed the nugget caused the burns, however, the family's lawyers argued the temperature was above 93C (200F) while lawyers for McDonald's argued it was 71C (160F).

The case has drawn similarities to the infamous McDonald's "Hot Coffee" case, when a woman from New Mexico successfully sued the company after suffering burns when a coffee spilt on to her lap.

Stella Liebeck, 81, was initially awarded $2.7m in damages, but it was later reduced to $480,000.

A British man also sued McDonald's in 1995 over its apple pies after he suffered burns when some of its contents spilt out on to his arm.

He was awarded £750.

Comments

Oh ya 2 year ago
What judges need to state is the award money has to go into a a trust until the girl is 18 and can not be accessed by anyone until that time., this would stop parents from using their kids in the sue loto

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×