Even a single impactful case of personal injury compensation can initiate a debate on a national level, trigger a corporation change, or go on to transform a law.
With 39.5 million cases of personal injury a year with medical treatment required, it is no wonder that such incidents are becoming commonplace over time (Source: Pathway Law Firm, 2025).
If you think you’ve got a topic that could also fit into these marks, do not hesitate to reach out to experienced personal injury attorneys who can help you take up your case.
Now, let’s just move our focus to this blog which has mentioned and discussed five personal injury cases and how they changed the different aspects of the legal industry.
1. McDonald’s Hot Coffee Case of 1994
You must have heard about the famous McDonald’s hot cup of coffee case, but how many of us understand the context surrounding it?
A lot of people think it was a ridiculous suit of someone complaining that their coffee was too hot but when you look at the actual details, it’s a completely different story.
The beverage was dangerously hot and was served at temperatures between 180°F and 190°F, which is way hotter than the one you’d make at home.
When the drink soaked through her clothes, it caused third-degree burns on her thighs and groin area.
She had to stay in the hospital for eight days, undergo painful skin grafts, and needed two years of medical treatment.
Liebeck sued McDonald’s, arguing that the company knew their coffee was too hot but refused to change it.
In fact, they had already received more than 700 complaints about burns from their hot drink, but they ignored them.
Internal documents even showed that the brand was aware of the risks but decided it was cheaper to deal with lawsuits than to lower the coffee temperature.
The jury sided with Liebeck and awarded her $2.7 million in punitive damages, and a judge later reduced this to $480,000, and the case was eventually settled out of court.
Before getting to know about the next case of personal injury, let’s check out these statistics estimated by the Department of Justice on personal Injuries.
2. The Ford Pinto Lawsuits of the 1970s
The Ford Pinto case is a well-known example of what it can lead to when a company prioritizes its profits over the safety of human lives.
The company had a major design flaw: its fuel tank was positioned in a way that made it extremely vulnerable to rear-end collisions.
That simply means if by any chance the car gets hit from behind, this storage could rupture and cause an explosion.
And you know what was more shocking that the engineers who manufactured them knew about this risk, and they still decided not to fix it.
It was all because according to their calculation – it would cost less to pay for lawsuits than to recall and repair the cars.
As a result of this negligence, several people were severely injured or killed when their Pintos exploded in crashes.
Families of the victims sued Ford, and one of the most well-known cases involved a woman who suffered terrible burns when her Pinto caught fire after being rear-ended.
The company was hit with millions of dollars in settlements as well as faced bad publicity.
They eventually recalled 1.5 million Pintos and promised to improve their safety standards.
3.NFL Concussion Lawsuit of 2011
There used to be a time when NFL players were experiencing serious brain issues like memory loss, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.
This serious matter was acknowledged only after thousands of former players took the league to court.
After that, scientists discovered that repeated concussions could lead to a brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
However, players accused the NFL of hiding the dangers of head injuries and failing to protect them.
Over 4,500 former players sued the league and argued that they knew about the long-term risks of concussions but covered it up.
They demanded compensation for their medical bills and suffering, and the NFL even agreed to a $765 million settlement to help pay for medicalcare and support for affected players.
Since then, the National Football League has continued to put effort into minimizing the risk of brain injuries to the players.
Do You Know? Records from the U.S. The Department of Justice shows that more than 90 percent of personal injury cases end in settlement before the trial.
4.PG&E Gas Explosion Lawsuit in San Bruno, 2010
In 2010, a natural gas pipeline owned by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) exploded in San Bruno, California.
This incident destroyed almost 38 homes and led to the death of eight people, and injuring dozens more.
In the investigation, it was revealed that the pipeline was old and had not been properly maintained for several years.
Knowing about this, many survivors and families of the victims sued PG&E for negligence.
Also, they argued that the company had ignored warning signs and failed to do necessary safety inspections.
It was also found out that PG&E already knew about it, and still, they chose to cut costs instead of fixing known issues with their pipelines.
The company was ordered to pay more than $565 million in claims, including settlements with victims and penalties for failing to maintain safe infrastructure.
5. MGM Mandalay Bay Shooting Lawsuit of 2017
In 2017, a gunman opened fire from his hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Resort, killing almost 58 people, and more than hundreds were injured at a country music festival.
Victims and their families argued that the resort should have done more or taken major steps to prevent the attack.
Thousands of sufferers sued MGM Resorts, the owner of Mandalay Bay, and accused them of failing to enforce proper security standards.
The lawsuit claimed that the lodging should have noticed the shooter bringing dozens of weapons into his room and taken action to prevent the tragedy.
The case was settled when MGM agreed to an $800 million settlement in 2020, one of the largest ever for a mass shooting suit.
