A Hot Flight
United Airlines hit with a coffee lawsuit: McDonald's now shares the burn
First it was fast food chain McDonald's in hot water over hot coffee. Now it's United Airlines that's the subject of a suit over spilling the beans.
In a lawsuit filed against United Continental Holdings, Inc. in U.S. District Court, Harris County resident Lourdes Cervantes claims that she was severely burned by hot coffee on a Continental Airlines flight.
The incident in question occurred somewhere between Madrid and Newark on Aug. 1, 2011, when a flight attendant placed a cup of coffee on the tray table in front of her just as the passenger sitting in the attached seat decided to recline.
Cervantes alleges that the coffee spilled onto her lap, resulting in second-degree burns on her inner thighs, plus severe pain, medical treatment and permanent scarring.
Represented by Houston personal injury attorney Shaw Clifford, Cervantes is seeking a jury trial and approximately $170,550 in compensation for bodily and emotional injuries and other damages, the maximum allowed under the Montreal Convention.