[ams6110]

They keep the coffee that hot because customers like hot coffee. That's the main reason I get coffee at McDonalds, not because it's great coffee (though it's not bad) but because it's HOT. Half the time I get coffee at Starbuck's it's only a litte better than piss-warm.

[perl4ever]

I don't think forbidding hot coffee at drive-thrus is unambiguously in favor of safety, since not-so-hot coffee encourages people to drink while driving, which could cause an accident. Some people want to drink on their way to the office or home, and others want coffee that is still hot when they get there. The consequence of the litigation seems to be that the former group of customers is privileged, but I'm not certain that is an overall social good even if you prioritize safety - and some would of course be happy to trade off others safety for their own hot coffee.

There seems to be an unlimited supply of people always popping up to "debunk" the "myths" about the Liebeck case who seem to deflect from the fact that it is normal for coffee to be brewed at near boiling temperatures[1] that cause the sort of damage that was at issue. I could burn myself severely while draining pasta too, if I pour hot water all over my pants and don't remove them; it doesn't mean boiling water is too hot for cooking nor that say, a manufacturer of a non-defective pot is to blame.

Added reference due to downvoting:

[1] http://www.ncausa.org/About-Coffee/How-to-Brew-Coffee

"Your brewer should maintain a water temperature between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction."