In the early 1990s, Stella Liebeck ordered a fresh cup of coffee at a McDonald's drive-thru in Albuquerque, N.M. Her grandson, who was driving, pulled into the parking lot so Liebeck could add her cream and sugar. In the absence of a cupholder, Liebeck steadied the cup between her knees. She spilled the coffee, suffered third-degree burns, sued the franchise, and was later awarded nearly $2.9 million US in damages — roughly $5 million in present-day money. The case became a nationwide lightning rod for the debate around frivolous litigation.

Source: CBC