KEY POINTS
- Eight-year-old Olivia Caraballo suffered a severe burn from a Chicken McNugget.
- The incident occurred in 2019 after Caraballo and her mother visited a franchise in Florida.
- A jury on Wednesday awarded the young girl $1.18 million in damages.
McDonald's has been ordered to pay US$800,000 ($1.18 million) to an eight-year-old United States girl who received second-degree burns after a Chicken McNugget fell on her lap.
The incident occurred in 2019 when Olivia Caraballo, then aged four, visited a McDonald's franchise owned by Upchurch Foods in Tamarac, Florida.
A separate jury in May decided that McDonald's and the franchise operator were responsible after hearing testimony from Philana Holmes, Caraballo's mother, who said she had ordered Happy Meals for her son and daughter but had not been warned the food might be unusually hot, the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper reported.
Olivia Caraballo and her mother, Philana Holmes, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Source: AAP, AP / Amy Beth Bennett
Pictures of the burn and audio of Caraballo's screaming were shared in court in May and again on Tuesday.
Lawyers for McDonald's had argued that Caraballo was not experiencing ongoing discomfort and that it was her mother who had an issue with the scar.
The family sought $15 million in damages, while McDonald's had argued US$156,000 ($230,000) was sufficient.
Philana Holmes (right) hugs her attorney, Keyla Smith. Holmes said the jury's decision was "more than fair". Credit: Amy Beth Bennett
"I'm actually just happy that they listened to Olivia's voice and the jury was able to decide a fair judgment," Holmes told reporters outside the court, according to US media outlet CBS News.
"I'm happy with that. I honestly had no expectations, so this is more than fair for me."
SBS News has contacted McDonald's for comment.
