User:Raeg21/Duty to warn

An issue in product liability cases is whether the product warranted a duty to warn about known dangers.

In the popularized Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants case where Liebeck sued McDonalds for damages for injuries due to spilling hot coffee on her lap, McDonalds was cited not to have properly warned consumers about the inherent danger of their coffee product. Because McDonald's was aware of previous injuries from hot coffee injuries, and had not properly warned the consumers, the court awarded Liebeck $640,000 in damages, which was later settled for an undisclosed amount.