In 2019, an incident at a restaurant McDonalds in Tamarac, Florida, resulted in a lawsuit filed by Philana Holmes and Humberto Caraballo Estevez against fast food chain and franchise owner Upchurch Foods.
The couple claimed that their 4-year-old daughter, Olivia Caraballo, suffered severe second-degree burns to her leg after an excessively hot McNugget got stuck in the car seat. The case led to a conviction, and McDonald's was ordered to pay $800,000 in damages to the family.
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The couple, Philana Holmes and Humberto Caraballo Estevez, claimed that the McNuggets served were excessively hot, posing a danger to consumers. In turn, McDonald's and Upchurch Foods denied responsibility for the incident.
However, the Florida jury came to the conclusion that the family deserved financial compensation. Initially, damages of $15 million were sought, but the family was awarded the sum of $800,000 after a two-hour deliberation.
The legal representatives of the family, in a statement, highlighted the importance of the decision achieved by the jury, considering it a significant closure to a difficult legal process and prolonged.
They emphasized that the verdict reaffirms the need for those responsible to face the consequences and make justice, after having tried to avoid them in two previous trials.
The family feels that this result ensures that the culprits are held accountable for the severe burns suffered by their daughter.
Despite years of denying responsibility and trying to minimize Olivia's suffering from the community during the trial, the efforts of McDonald's and Upchurch were overcome by the determination of the jury.
So far, both companies have yet to comment on the new result. However, earlier in May, they released a statement suggesting the incident was a mistake, but did not place blame on themselves.
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