She was carrying the coffee in her lap, in her car, trying to put in her cream and sugar. The spillage was entirely her fault and/or the fault of whoever was driving the car. McDonald's did, in fact, offered to pay some of her medical expenses, but the woman wanted full compensation for injuries she caused herself. When the case was finally litigated, the jury even said that the woman was partially at fault. McDonald's, in the end, was held accountable, because the "hot" coffee they advertised and sold, was indeed hot, and much of the witness testimony revolved around how quickly a beverage that people wanted to buy as hot, would scald the skin, should any given idiot splash it all over themselves in a fit of stupidity. Later, after McDonald's adjusted the temperature of the coffee downwards accordingly, many people complained (and even sued), saying the coffee was too cold.