HAVE A LAUGH!
‘HOT COFFEE’ TACKLES A COMMON LEGAL MYTH LAWMOVIE OF THE MONTH
Even if you have no interest in law, you’ve probably heard about the infamous “hot coffee case” from friends. Here’s what most people think happened: A woman bought a coffee from McDonald’s, spilled it on herself, and made millions of dollars. As often happens with word-of-mouth tales, the reality is a lot more complicated than the myth. “Hot Coffee,” a 2011 documentary, seeks to untangle what really happened. Stella Liebeck is the plaintiff the world knows as “the hot coffee lady.” After ordering a coffee from a McDonald’s drive-thru, she sat in her parked car and took the lid off. With 16 percent of her body covered in burns, Stella incurred $10,000 in medical bills. Her injuries were so severe that she required major surgery and skin grafts. She wrote a letter asking for McDonald’s to cover the cost, with no intention whatsoever to sue. When McDonald’s offered a paltry $800, Stella had no choice but to talk to a lawyer. “I was not it in for the money,” Stella says. “I was in it because I wanted them to bring the temperature down, so other people would not go through the same thing I did.” Stella’s legal team discovered that not only was McDonald’s serving coffee at 180–190 degrees, far above the standard brew temperature, but also that over 700 people had complained about burns. Ken Wagner, Stella’s lawyer, describes McDonald’s behavior as “callous and indifferent.” The result, then, was far from a rip-off. It was the logical conclusion of the legal process, decided on by a jury of regular citizens. So, if that’s what really happened, then why did so many people come away thinking of Stella as an old lady eager to sue? “Hot Coffee” suggests a number of reasons. First, the media jumped on the story immediately and distorted public perception. Second, that’s exactly what McDonald’s wanted. Think about it: If they can portray regular people as all-too-willing to file a frivolous lawsuit, they protect themselves from further cases.
CHRISTMAS TREE DANISH Ingredients
2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 can cherry pie filling 2/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla For the Glaze 1/3 cup powdered sugar 2 teaspoons milk
Directions
1. Combine the glaze ingredients until smooth and set aside until the Danish is baked and cooled. 2. Open the packages of crescent rolls, but do not separate them. Using a serrated knife, slice each roll into 12 equal pieces. Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, gently indent the middle of each circle so there is a space for the cream cheese to be placed inside. Arrange the crescent circles into the shape of a Christmas tree. 3. Place a small spoonful of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each crescent circle. Then, place a small spoonful of the cherry pie filling on top.
4. Bake at 350 F for 18–20 minutes. 5. Let cool and drizzle with the glaze.
If you’ve ever heard of this famous case and wanted to know the truth, “Hot Coffee” will prove an enlightening and exciting documentary.
WWW.EMERYLAWOFFICE.COM | 3
call or text ( 502 ) 771 - LAW ( 1529)
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs