I would encourage you to look at the details of the McDonalds coffee case before using it as an example. Particularly, that the plaintif was hospitalized for 8 days and underwent skin grafts, and that McDonalds serves their coffee significantly hotter than culinary taste demands, despite hundreds of reported injuries and previous settlements.
That doesn't necessarily mean the outcome was justified, but it certainly wasn't a frivolous case.
She also didn't get millions. She initially won big but it was later overturned on the grounds that McDonalds was being singled out for being successful (i.e. having deep pockets to pay that kind of damage).
That doesn't necessarily mean the outcome was justified, but it certainly wasn't a frivolous case.