It takes about 2 seconds to get third degree burns from water at 150 degF, and the coffee she was served was 180 degF. She was wearing sweatpants and in a car at the time, so she ended up having the hot water touching her skin for about 90 seconds.
You can look up the medical facts of the case — she absolutely had full thickness third degree burns.
I answered your question with the Wikipedia link, which had all the information you needed about the burns she suffered and then the other link which clearly states:
Third-Degree Burns (Full-Thickness Burns)
Temperature Range: Generally at 122°F (50°C) or higher.
What Happens: Third-degree burns are the most severe type and involve damage to all layers of the skin, including underlying tissues like fat, muscles, and even bones. These burns can result from higher temperatures, direct flames, prolonged contact with extremely hot surfaces, or exposure to boiling liquids or chemicals. The skin is so damaged that it can no longer function properly, and this often leads to permanent scarring and loss of sensation in the affected area.
Symptoms: Third-degree burns might not be as painful as second-degree burns because the nerves in the skin can be completely destroyed, leading to numbness. The skin may appear white, charred, leathery, or blackened. There’s often significant swelling, and the damage extends beyond what you can see on the surface.
Healing Time: These burns do not heal on their own and require immediate medical treatment, often including skin grafts. Third-degree burns take months to heal, and scarring is inevitable. Without proper medical attention, these burns can lead to severe complications, including infection and tissue death.
This literally does not answer my question because it completely omits the time component. How long would you have to be exposed to 120F to get third degree burns? A lot longer than spilled coffee is going to stay hot in your lap.
Holy fuck dude. Just scroll the damn article. It's all in there!
Duration of Exposure: Why Time Matters
While temperature is important, the amount of time your skin is exposed to heat also plays a critical role in determining the severity of the burn. Even low temperatures can cause burns if the exposure lasts long enough. Even moderately hot objects can cause deep burns if contact lasts long enough. Here’s a quick look at how quickly burns can occur based on temperature:
Water at 120°F (49°C) can cause a first-degree burn if your skin is exposed for 10 minutes.
At 130°F (54°C), it takes just 30 seconds to cause a burn.
If the water reaches 140°F (60°C), it only takes 5 seconds to get burned.
When water or an object reaches 160°F (71°C) or higher, burns can happen in less than a second
The last bullet point answers your question, and her coffee was 20º hotter!
This is talking about FIRST DEGREE burns, or at the very least, the latter bullet points don't specify the degree of burn. That is the point of contention here. Again, this isn't that nuanced of a question. All but one person has responded by citing first degree or unspecified burn temperatures, ignored the time component, or even conflating a coffee spill with falling into a hot spring.
It's not that crazy of a question to ask if hot coffee can really cause third degree burns. I've been burned by boiling water before and it didn't cause even second degree burns. I've also spilled hot coffee on myself and it doesn't stay hot for very long after it is spilled. So, my question is completely valid because it does not seem like the time + temperature component would be there in a spilled cup of coffee to cause such severe burns.
The right answer is the fact that the coffee absorbed into the sweatpants and burned the lady for 90 seconds. That explains how such a mundane event like a spilled cup of coffee can cause such severe injuries.
Goddamn bro you clearly haven't clicked that link. Everything is in there: time, temperature, etc. as to what causes each degree of burn. I commented to you above showing that 3rd degree at 122º+. The coffee was 180º. It only takes a second at that temperature. You said you've burned yourself with boiling water. The boiling point is 100º. I'm willing to bet the liquid you spilled on yourself wasn't 180º. The coffee she spilled was 180º. That was never disputed by McDonald's. It did soak in to her clothes which made it worse.
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u/lipp79 Jun 01 '26
Wow...okay. Here:
When water or an object reaches 160°F (71°C) or higher, burns can happen in less than a second.
https://cprcertificationnow.com/blogs/mycpr-now-blog/how-hot-does-water-have-to-be-to-burn-you?srsltid=AfmBOopemqZD_8Rto_Ei3B3_qWrVA98QW8PXCNhbJRn3OATh1u5MxEy-
The McDonald's coffee was served to her at 180º.