Community Corner

Update: Florida Man Sues River Edge McDonald's Over Spilled Coffee

Claims lid to coffee cup was not secured, resulting in second degree burns to his pelvic area.

A 54 year-old Florida man claiming that he suffered serious burns from coffee that spilled onto his lap while dining at the River Edge McDonald's in August 2011 is suing the McDonald's Corporation.  

According to a Northjersey.com report, Francisco Rafael Borbolla said that he received second degree burns because a server at the River Edge McDonald's failed to properly secure the lid to his coffee cup, resulting in the hot coffee spilling onto his lap as he sat down at a table. 

Borbolla has retained the legal services of the Law Offices of Rosemarie Arnold in Fort Lee. Arnold said that Borbolla’s lawsuit is not frivolous, according to Northjersey.com, and added, "If the naysayers saw the burns on my client’s genitals, they would be speechless.” 

When asked if Borbolla was looking to settle with McDonald's or would be pursuing a jury trial, Paige Butler, the associate assigned to the case, said, "If a jury was to see the serious burns and scarring to Mr. Borbolla's genitals, they would be horrified."

According to Butler, the reason that Borbolla waited almost a full two years to file his case was because the medical treatments he has been receiving since this incident have not healed his injuries. 

"He is still suffering," she said. 

A similar lawsuit was filed against the McDonald's Corporation in 1994 when a New Mexico jury awarded $2.86 million to Stella Liebeck who had suffered third-degree burns in her pelvic area after she accidentally spilled a cup of McDonald's hot coffee she had ordered from the drive-thru. According to her law suit, Liebeck's injuries sent her to the hospital for eight days, followed by a series of skin grafts and two years of continuous medical treatment. 

The River Edge McDonald's referred all questions to the McDonald's Corporation. A spokesperson from the McDonald's Corporation said she is not aware that McDonald's has received any information regarding Borbolla's lawsuit and could not speak to it, or refer Patch to anyone who could, at this time. 
 
The lawsuit, filed by Borbolla in Hackensack Superior Court, is for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. Butler said that they are not yet disclosing the amount of the damages that her client is seeking. 

This article was updated at 10:40 a.m.


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