One of the most familiar and overpublicized personal injury cases in history would have to be the case of Stella Liebeck and her case against McDonald's coffee being "too hot." When Liebeck won the case and was awarded $2.9 million comedians, like Jerry Seinfeld and David Letterman, jumped on the case, turning it into comedic gold. Others started glorifying outrageous lawsuits by awarding them the "Stella Award."
While the case was joked about and considered a chance to capitalize on the fortune of a billion dollar company like McDonald's, many people don't understand the details of the case and how severely Liebeck was burned. Her case was very legitimate, and her burns on her legs and ankle were so severe that they took a year to recover from, not to mention the costly medical bills she incurred. If you need further proof, you can Google Stella Liebeck to see just how badly her skin was burned-I bet you'll be surprised.
Her case was simple, McDonald's had been knowingly serving coffee that could burn the skin off a person. They knew this because there had been hundreds of other complaints of burns, ranging from mild to severe, but McDonald's had always found a way to settle outside of court. Because McDonald's was aware of the danger of their scalding coffee, and because no actions were taken to reduce the risk, McDonald's was downright negligent.
The case is regaining notoriety as HBO released a documentary called "Hot Coffee" on June 27 of this year. The documentary displays the facts of the case; interviews of the parties involved, and lets the viewer make the decision on what is right and wrong. The documentary also goes much deeper into the politics behind the judicial system. One filmmaker said "we will educate the audience about caps on the amount of money that victims can receive in court in most states, how the federal government has enacted laws to prevent people from their day in court, and how the small print on credit card and real estate contracts, for example, prevent people from being able to get into the court system, denying access to justice."
The film is directed by an attorney with over 25 years of experience in personal injury law. The documentary will hopefully shed light on personal and corporate negligence and will encourage victims to seek damages if they've been injured. If you've been injured due to someone else's negligence, please contact a Waco and Killen personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
About the Author: Jeff Davis is the Owner of the Davis law firm and a highly experienced Waco and Killeen personal injury attorney. To find out more information about a Waco or Killen personal injury lawyer, please visit www.jeffdavislawfirm.com.
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