Doc HOT COFFEE - Altering Our Nation's Civil Justice System - Democracy NOW!

Democracy NOW! DN! - Movie clips removed due to possible copyright strike by YouTube although the filmmaker is being interviewed. Stella Liebeck made national headlines in 1992 when she sued McDonald's after spilling a scalding cup of hot coffee on her lap. The lawsuit had the whole country
talking. But what most people do not know is that Liebeck suffered third degree burns over 16 percent of her body and never fully recovered. And
most people do not know that corporations have spent millions of dollars distorting her story to promote tort reform. Liebeck's case is featured in the
documentary, Hot Coffee that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday.

Hot Coffee, a new documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, looks at the stories of four people whose lives were devastated when
they were denied access to the court room after being injured. The film documents how corporations have spent millions to promote the case for tort
reform.

The documentary, "Hot Coffee," tells the story of former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz. Despite fierce opposition from big business, Diaz won re-election to the bench. "Hot Coffee" reveals how Diaz was then criminally prosecuted on false charges to taint his reputation. He was forced off the bench for three years to fight the charges and was acquitted.

In our final segment featuring the explosive new documentary, Hot Coffee, we speak with a family featured in the film. Lisa and Mike Gourley are the parents of twin sons Colin and Connor. Colin was born with cerebral palsy because of medical malpractice during childbirth. A Nebraska jury awarded Colin $5.6 million to cover his medical expenses. But a state-mandated cap reduced his award by 80 percent, to $1.2 million. We speak with the family about how taxpayers are now responsible for paying for Colin's health care, and how mandated caps in malpractice lawsuits relieve the wrong doer of responsibility for the damage they cause.

Published with written permission from democracynow.org. http://www.democracynow.org and provided to you under Democracy NOW! creative commons license by a volunteer. Copyright for this news broadcast belongs to democracynow.org, an independent non-profit user funded news
media. DN! is recognized as a pioneer in community media collaboration and broadcast world wide.

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[mtweiss01]

Hey Ski...one suggestion, actually two: psychiatrist and decaf.

[ThisBoyTV]

@mtweiss01

decaf? ugh

[SkiCourchevel]

@LonsomeTroubador: Next time you come into MY coffee shop, I will serve you my coffee that I serve at 1,200 degrees. And when you take a sip (or spill it on yourself) it will vaporize your face and kill you. Your family won't be able to sue me b/c you had changed the law based on the fact we all know coffee is supposed to be "hot".

Thanks for being so understanding and accepting responsibility for your own actions!

[ThisBoyTV]

@SkiCourchevel

very well spoken .. bravo :)

[mtweiss01]

(continued) sorry..."battle" other country's government health agencies over these issues. People, we are systematically losing our Constitutional Rights to a public jury trial at the hands of big business and propaganda machines financed by them! WAKE UP! Barring the courthouse doors is their ultimate goal, and when we try to file legal papers to open those doors, there will be no one left to hear our claims.

[ThisBoyTV]

@mtweiss01

it only takes a few to begin explaining these and slowly others begin to understand.

if we could only get them to stop believing everything on 24 x 7 snooze media is true :)

[simnszz]

When I was 16, I was walking with a tray of hot cocoa. My cup had a stirrer in the lid. I sipped through it never thinking it would burn me. I burned my mouth, throat & esophagus. I couldn't eat for 3 days & only lived on ice chips. My parents didn't realize how much pain I was in because I wouldn't talk. In those days, people just didn't cause waves. Every single time since...I'm 62 now...when I heard someone claim it was a frivolous lawsuit against MacDonalds, I told people it wasn't!

[rolexxx11]

I don't think Diaz was ever a federal judge... why do they label him as such?

[T900SD]

i used to assume so much crap about this poor woman before i saw the whole doc on HBO. it's amazing she didn't die she was burned so badly..many many people everywhere have been saved from grave injury because of THIS lawsuit and the industry standards that were changed, right down to cup and lid design.

[flubno]

When they interviewed people on the street and that one chick said people are greedy and will do anything for money, she was right. But they didn't consider that the people being greedy were the big business and corporations and were attacking the little guy off some propaganda they saw on TV. They themselves are the little guy also.

[flubno]

Why is this surprising to people ? What is the corporate creed ? To make money and profits regardless of the costs via environmental or social . No wonder all these companies are trying to fuck you over. It's built into the system.

[iLIKEtotallyL0VEit]

@jperschino - Ok then, more people die from choking or similar related. The point is, it's still insignifacant. More people die from user error of electrical devices, more people die from tripping up on things that they really could of avoided. The point remains the same, in a nation of 300 million people it is statistically insignificant, whilst you have an argument over the temperature of the coffee, don't deride McDonalds for their "insignificant" comment, when it truly, truly is.

[jperschino]

@iLIKEtotallyL0VEit I wish you more paper cuts than third degree burns. It is obvious you did not watch the film. She had third degree burns all over her upper legs and genitalia. This is a bit different than a "paper cut" and the 700 complaints were of the same nature. Third degree burns from this coffee. And if you watch the film you will also learn Mc D's kept this temp to prevent you from a free refill and being able to taste the inferior beans they used. Do your homework next time.

[iLIKEtotallyL0VEit]

@jperschino - And after having over 700 previous complaints which Micky D's found "insignificant". - Sorry to be an asshole but 700 complaints is statistically insignificant. More people get paper cuts.

[crystalsaete]

So that doctor was practacing for 7 years before they even got a chance to call them out?! How many shit doctors are out there O_o they may be messing up left and right everyday with out any one aware of it. Scary.

[DevlinSaints1]

Just think. If you were that age and this happend to you. I hope it never happens to me, but if it does, I hope I would get help.

[tortvictim]

We voted for Tort Reform, based on the so called frivolous lawsuits that were out of control in TX. We did not realize the truth of Tort Reform being about the MONEY for corp, until we witnessed the death of our father by incompetent staff at a "skilled" nursing center. We are living the reality of tort as the facility was able to lie and say it never happened, even though 6 people watched in horror. Tort reform equals unaccountability for the corps, and death to our most vulneralbe!