McDonalds sued over hot drinks

Burger giant McDonald's is facing a potentially costly High Court action over customers' claims that they were scalded by the restaurant chain's hot drinks.

The 36 customers, many of them children, are said to have suffered burns from hot tea or coffee served in McDonald's restaurants nation-wide between April 1996 and August 1998.

They claim the drinks were served too hot and in cups that were inappropriate and "defective" under the terms of the Consumer Protection Act 1987.

Tim Horlock QC, presenting the case for the claimants, said at least 16 of them were aged under four at the time the injury was sustained.

He claimed customers could not feel how hot the drinks were because of the insulating cups used by McDonald's.

Horlock added: "The temperature at which drinks were dispensed by McDonald's was higher than an acceptable drinking temperature or recommended dispensing temperature.

"In essence, the claimants' case is that liquid of a temperature at which McDonald's served its hot drinks is extremely dangerous, since the briefest contact with human skin can cause significant injury."

He said the dangers could have been reduced by adding ingredients, such as milk and sugar, when the drinks were served, so customers did not have to remove the lid to add ingredients. McDonald's should also have provided "adequate warnings at the point of service and improved warnings on the cup or lid."

McDonald's is disputing the claim.