McDonald's Hot Coffee - The Real Story

It is very common in our profession for non-lawyers to bring up the story of the lady who was burned by spilled hot coffee at McDonald's, and later successfully sued McDonald's for the injuries she suffered from this spill. They bring it up as an example of an abuse of our legal system. But, the real story is a story that has never fully been told outside the courtroom until today. I encourage you to watch a documentary about this case on Monday, June 27, 2011, at 8:00 PM Central standard Time on HBO.

Over the last century, plaintiffs' lawyers have made real differences in real lives throughout the United States. We have changed industries to make them more safe. We have provided consumers with more information on how to safely use products. We have saved lives forcing the removal of products from the market including flammable children's pajamas, deadly asbestos, and exploding Ford Pintos. For a long time, we plaintiffs' lawyers (who have heard a few facts surrounding the McDonald's case) knew the whole story wasn't being told. The HBO documentary "Hot Coffee" promises to tell that story and do justice to a case that brought justice.

This documentary may not, on its own, immediately turn the tide of misinformation by corporate America and their insurance companies, but it appears to be an intellectually honest effort to set the record straight. If you can, watch it and make it a part of your conversation next week.