Thanks to having lawyer friends I have a lot of info on that case.
Part of the reason for the large settlement was punitive, and that was in part due to the fact that a disgruntled employee leaked a memo confirming that the too hot coffee was deliberate to save money, even after the first several cases had come to light. The memo stated the reason was that the hotter the water the more cups of coffee per pound of grounds. And that's what opened the customer safety issue.