A judge has ordered a woman and a business management solutions firm to mediate the plaintiff’s lawsuit in which she alleges she was negligently burned by hot coffee bought at a McDonald’s restaurant in Gramercy Park that she tried to drink when she got home.
During a case management conference Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Christopher Lui ordered mediation between plaintiff Tonya Marie Hooper and the defendant, Palmdale based-Laddaran Management Corp., after attorneys for both sides said they were amenable to a pretrial settlement.
The judge scheduled a post-mediation status conference for July 2, 2027. If mediation fails, trial is set for Oct. 11, 2027.
Hooper, 35, also originally sued McDonald’s Restaurant of California Inc., but dropped that part of the complaint against the company on Wednesday.
According to Hooper’s suit, she bought a large hot coffee and a biscuit in the drive-through of the McDonald’s restaurant in the 1760 block of West Century Boulevard on Nov. 8, 2023. She put the coffee cup in a holder in her vehicle console and drove to her apartment, where she tried to sip the drink.
However, as Hooper lifted the cup to her mouth the lid fell off and hot water spilled on her chest, stomach and left wrist, according to her complaint filed Oct. 25. Hooper found out that a McDonald’s employee had put two lids on the cup and that neither was adequately fastened onto the container, the suit further states.
Hooper alleges she suffered severe burns and other substantial bodily injuries. In her previous court papers, a Laddaran attorney denied Hooper’s allegations and said her own negligence contributed to her injuries. The defense attorney also stated in her pleadings that Hooper assumed the risk of possibly being injured and that any award she may receive should be proportionately reduced.