Mcdonald's Coffee Argumentative Essay

In the American legislative system, Jurors make legal decisions based on the information presented to them by the Prosecution and Defense (O'Brien, 1). It is important to note that the decision-making process of a guilty or non-guilty verdict is based on individual narratives, as opposed to a Bayesian form of decision making, or probabilities and likelihoods (O'Brien, 1).

Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old department store clerk, in March of 1993 filed a lawsuit, commonly known as the “McDonalds Coffee Case,” against McDonald's Corporation. The Plaintiff argued that the coffee she purchased on February 2, 1992 was unreasonably dangerous and the defendant should be liable for the physical and mental harm it caused her at the time of sale (Dedman, 1). The Plaintiff claimed that her injuries were a direct result of the gross negligence of the Defendant (Tozer, 1). On the counts of product defect, breach of implied warranty, and breach of the implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, the Jury found the Defendant guilty and allotted twenty percent fault to the Plaintiff. The Jury gave its verdict based on the age of the Defendant, the results from a survey conducted on temperature levels

In the McDonald’s Coffee Case, the Judge and Jury found McDonald’s conduct to be callous, reckless and willful (Dedman, 1). The jury made its verdict based on the age of the Plaintiff, the temperature of the coffee, the testimonies of the witnesses and the rhetoric of the attorneys. It is important to note however, that the jury was also influenced by their collective knowledge and experience on the matter and their perceptions of the witnesses’ credibility and demeanor (Tozer, 1). This is due to the fact that the Jurors are human, and they have their individual