So sue me. 
This message is for Jeff42. To anyone who supported my arguments (which I thought were pretty reasonable), thanks.
First off, I fail to see why the fact McDonalds is so prolific somehow excuses them from ignoring hundreds of complaints. I mean, you’d think that in this day an age, any widely recurring hazard could be communicated to all the members of an organization without too much fuss.
And while holding the cup between her legs wasn’t the smartest move, that was no excuse for the coffee being hot enough to cause third-degree burns!. (Please don’t bring up that “numbers game” argument again; I’m stating a fact here, all right?) Would it have been somehow better if she just accidentally dropped the cup? And the court acknowledged her slight carelessness (although I’ve personally made dumber mistakes with soda cups) by deciding that she was 20% responsible, then reducing the award by that amount.
Let me just say, too, that I have no sympathy for clueless goddam fools. McDonalds could have stopped serving coffee at scalding temperatures; they didn’t. They could have posted a warning and/or given their customers the option of cooler coffee; they didn’t. They could have paid the woman’s hospital expenses as a simple courtesy (and generate some pretty good PR in the bargain); they didn’t. From beginning to end they had their heads jammed up someplaces too unpleasant to mention, and I’m happy they got nailed for it.
Postscript: I’m done arguing. I’ve said my piece, and make of it what you will, but I don’t get into endless ego battles (no matter how civil) on message boards. Or anywhere.