Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025

Mother wins legal battle with McDonald's after daughter suffers burns from chicken nugget

Mother wins legal battle with McDonald's after daughter suffers burns from chicken nugget

Philana Holmes told jurors her daughter suffered second-degree burns after a McNugget, bought from a McDonald's in Tamarac, Florida, fell from a Happy Meal on to her upper thigh.

A mother has won a legal battle with McDonald's after her daughter suffered second-degree burns from a hot chicken nugget.

Philana Holmes told jurors that her four-year-old daughter suffered burns to her upper thigh after the McNugget fell from a Happy Meal on to her leg.

In a lawsuit similar to the infamous 1992 McDonald's "Hot Coffee" case, she took the owner of the franchise where she purchased the meal to court in South Florida, claiming negligence.

She also claimed that the fast food giant had failed to warn customers about the "dangerous" temperature of the food.

However, lawyers for McDonald's argued that the nuggets had to be hot to avoid risks of salmonella.

They also argued that the McNuggets were not designed to be pressed between a seat belt and human flesh for more than two minutes.

Jurors found the franchise holder liable for negligence and failure to warn customers about the risk of hot food.

They also found McDonald's USA liable for failing to provide instructions for the safe handling of the food.

However, McDonald's USA was not found to be negligent, and the jury dismissed the argument that the product was defective.

Another jury will now decide on how much McDonald's USA and its franchise owner, Upchurch Foods, will pay the child and her mother.

A spokesperson Upchurch Foods said it was "deeply disappointed" with the verdict.

Philana Holmes's daughter Olivia Caraballo was four years old at the time.


Owner-operator Brent Upchurch said: "The facts show that our restaurant in Tamarac, Florida, did indeed follow those protocols when cooking and serving this Happy Meal."

Jurors heard two days of arguments about the incident, which took place in 2019 when Ms Holmes's daughter, Olivia, was aged four.

She told the court that she bought Happy Meals for her son and daughter at a drive-thru window at a McDonald's in Tamarac, near Fort Lauderdale, and then handed the food to her children, who were in the back seat.

After she drove away, her daughter, who the court heard has autism, started screaming. She pulled over and saw the burn on the girl's leg and took photos on her iPhone.

Both sides agreed the nugget caused the burns, however, the family's lawyers argued the temperature was above 93C (200F) while lawyers for McDonald's argued it was 71C (160F).

The case has drawn similarities to the infamous McDonald's "Hot Coffee" case, when a woman from New Mexico successfully sued the company after suffering burns when a coffee spilt on to her lap.

Stella Liebeck, 81, was initially awarded $2.7m in damages, but it was later reduced to $480,000.

A British man also sued McDonald's in 1995 over its apple pies after he suffered burns when some of its contents spilt out on to his arm.

He was awarded £750.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
×