Here were relevant things: The coffee was turbo-hot--far in excess of standards that exist. McDonald's had been warned about this before. The design of the c

Here were relevant things: The coffee was turbo-hot--far in excess of standards that exist. McDonald's had been warned about this before. The design of the cup had it's own issues. The woman's initial lawsuit was for perfectly reasonable medical expenses given the horrible nature of the injuries. And, in response, McDonald's went completely nuclear. So, when McDonald's lost, THAT'S why they got hammered. And, even then, the award amount later got reduced, but nobody remembers that.