After reading the headline of this story, you may believe that it can’t be true…but you would, in fact, be wrong…
A Florida family was awarded an impressive sum of money in a jury trial this week.
The lawsuit brought by Philana Holmes and Humberto Caraballo Estevez alleged that their now 8-year-old daughter Olivia Caraballo suffered second degree burns from an unreasonably hot McDonald’s chicken nugget stuck to her car seat back in 2019.
Despite the split decision between McDonald’s and Upchurch Foods (the franchise owner), the jury found them both liable for failing to post warnings regarding the food products.
The defendants were none too pleased with the verdict but the family expressed their relief with it and hoped it would bring about change.
They had asked for $15 million in damages yet deemed the $800,000 they received as “fair and just”.
This momentous decision has provided meaningful closure for them after years of legal proceedings which saw McDonald’s denying any fault until now when they must face consequences.
The attorneys representing Holmes and Estevez released a statement saying: “Having previously established the defendants, Upchurch Foods Inc and McDonald’s USA LLC, as liable for their wrongful actions, this verdict reaffirms that they must now face the consequences and provide full justice… their efforts have been superseded by the jury’s determination.”
Neither McDonald’s nor Upchurch responded to requests for comment immediately following the verdict announcement.
What do we think of this shocking case?
