Newark Woman Burned By Hot Tea Sues McDonald's: Lawsuit

NEWARK, NJ — An Essex County woman has filed a lawsuit against McDonald's and claims she suffered severe burns when the lid came off a cup of hot tea and spilled on her, according to court documents.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of Dyanne Faison, 74, said the incident happened on Nov. 3 at the McDonald's located at 872 Frelinghuysen Ave. in Newark.

According to court documents, Faison suffered "serious and permanent burns" after McDonald's employees failed to put a tight lid on her cup of hot tea. The lawsuit also accuses the company of "heating said tea to an excessive and dangerous temperature."

According to court documents, Faison's injuries required hospitalization and medication, resulting in the "hampering" of her daily routine.

The lawsuit names McDonald's, ABC Corporations and several unnamed individuals as defendants. According to court documents, attorneys for Faison accuse the defendants of negligence.

The suit is the second filed in three months against the fast food giant. In September, a Hudson County woman filed a lawsuit claiming she suffered burns after purchasing coffee at the McDonald’s in Union City, according to an NJ Advance Media report.

That lawsuit was filed 11 days after a San Francisco woman also sued McDonald's, claiming she suffered "severe burns" from a scalding cup of coffee and was refused help by store employees, according to a Today.com report.

Arguably, the most notable lawsuit against McDonald's was filed in 1992 after 79-year-old Stella Liebeck spilled hot coffee on her lap and suffered third-degree burns over 16 percent of her body.

Liebeck offered to settle the case for $20,000, but McDonald's refused, offering Liebeck only $800. A jury later awarded Liebeck $3 million in punitive and compensatory damages after experts testified that McDonald's served its coffee up to 30 degrees hotter than other restaurants.

In the past year, several lawsuits have also been filed in New Jersey against Dunkin' Donuts.

Earlier this year, a man claimed he was burned by "excessively" hot coffee at a Morris County Dunkin' Donuts location. In 2022, three Garden State residents separately filed lawsuits against the company, claiming its hot coffee causes burns when spilled and storefronts are too hazardous.