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TWO DECADES AGO, A WOMAN SUED
MCDONALDS AFTER
.
>>> TWO DECADES AGO, A WOMAN
SUED McDONALD'S AFTER SPILLING
HOT COFFEE ON HERSELF.
A FAMILIAR EXAMPLE OF HOW
PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
AMERICA'S LEGAL SYSTEM.
>> AND AN ATTORNEY SAID MOST
PEOPLE THINK THAT IS THE CASE
AND DO THEY REALLY?
THE SUBJECT OF A DOCUMENTARY
"HOT COFFEE THE MOVIE."
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, CARL
AND THAT STORY, OBVIOUSLY,
TURNED INTO A WATERSHED MOMENT.
THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF JOKES
AND RUMORS AND STORIES AND THAT
IS DISPROVEN NOW, CORRECT?
>> ABSOLUTELY AND WHAT I AM
TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT I.
GIVING AWAY IS A COUNSEL OF THE
-- COPY OF THE DOCUMENTARY.
I HAD NO INVOLVEMENT IN MAKING
THAT BUT A GREAT PROGRAM I
WANTED TO PROMOTE SO PEOPLE CAN
TRULY KNOW THE FACTS OF
WHAT
TRULY HAPPENED.
>> THEY WERE IN -- LIKE YOU
SAID AND GO OVER THE FACTS OF
THAT CASE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
IN REALITY WHAT, HAPPENED TO
HER THE DAY SHE WAS BURNED SO
BADLY FROM THE COFFEE AT
McDONALD'S.
>> Reporter: SO -- .
>> SO MANY PEOPLE THINK THEY
KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO BACK
BEFORE THAT AND BEFORE SHE HAD
THE INJURIES, McDONALD'S HAD
ALREADY HAD OVER 700 COMPLAINTS
AND CLAIMS OF INJURIES FOR
BEING BURNED BY HOT COFFEE AND
THE McDONALD'S COFFEE TO AT
THE
TIME WAS BETWEEN 180 AND 190
DEGREES AND THAT IS PAST THE
SCALDING TEMPERATURE FOR ANY
HOT COFFEE OR LIQUID AND, IF
YOU LOOK AT THE TYPICAL COFFEE
MAKER AT HOME, THAT IS IN THE
RANGE OF 130 DEGREES AND WE'RE
NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST SPILLING
A CUP OF HOT COFFEE AND WHAT
WAS DONE WAS THAT THEY PROVED
THROUGH DEPOSITIONS AND
DISCOVERY AT McDONALD'S, THEY
KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND
YET FOR FINANCIAL REASONS,
BECAUSE THEY SELL
BILLIONS OF
CUPS A DAY OF COFFEE, THEY MADE
A DECISION TO IGNORE THE CLAIMS
THAT NOBODY WOULD TAKE IT
SERIOUSLY IN ORDER TO CONTINUE
TELLING -- SELLING THE COFFEE.
>> AND THERE WERE COMPARABLE
CASES, MUSHROOMD INTO THINGS
THAT THE PUBLIC TURNED INTO A
JOKE WHEN THERE WERE REAL
STEAKS INVOLVED AND IN THE
1980s, ANOTHER CASE -- .
>> AND SOMETHING, THE MAN IN
THE PHONE BOOTH, HE SUED TH
E
PHONE COMPANY?
>> SURE AND THIS, THE WHOLE
McDONALD'S THING SPINS OFF INTO
AN EXAMPLE OF WHY PEOPLE WANT
TO LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO ADDRESS
OUR DAMAGES IN COURT.
THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LIMIT
LAWSUITS AND YOUR ABILITY TO
HAVE JURY TRIAL AND AWFUL THESE
RIGHTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE
HEADLINES AND SO THE, YES, THIS
WAS -- THE OTHER CASE WAS AN
EXAMPLE, EVEN PRESIDENT REAGAN
USED IT IN ONE OF HIS SPEECHES
AND TALKING ABOUT A MAN WHO WAS
IN A PHONE BATTLE AND
HIT BY A
CAR AND WANTED TO SUE THE PHONE
COMPANY AND HOW RICK THAT WAS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FACTS,
WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT THE
PERSON IN THAT PHONE BOOTH SAW
THE CAR COMING AND BECAUSE THE
DOOR WAS DEFECTIVE, HE COULD
NOT GET OUT AND WAS HIT BY THE
CAAND HE SUED THE PHONE
COMPANY AND THE MANUFACTURER OF
THE PHONE BOTH BUT THAT WAS
BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE DOOR.
>> AND LIKE OLD WIVES
TALES,
THE STORIES GET DISTORTED AND
CHANGEED OVER THE YEARS AND
THAT CHANGES PERCEPTION.
>> AND THEY SPIN OFF INTO
FABRICATED STORIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, I CONSTANTLY GET
EVEN TODAY E-MAILS FROM PEOPLE
AND HOW THEY SPREAD AND SPREAD
AND CALL THEM THE STELLA AWARDS
AND THAT IS AFTER THE
McDONALD'S CASE.
MY FAVORITE, THE MAN WAS
PUTTING ON THE CRUISE CONTROL
FROM
THE WINNEBAGO.
>> AND I WROTE THAT ONE.
THAT WAS MADE UP.
>> SHE GOT THIRD-DEGREE BURNS
FROM THE COFFEE AND NOT DRIVING
AND DRINKING THE COFFEE.
SHE WAS PARKED IN THE LOT
TRYING TO PUT THE CREAM AND
SUGAR AND IT SPILLED IN HER LAP
AND BURNED SEVERELY AND WAS IN
THE HOSPITAL FOR A WEEK.
>> ALL SHE ASKED FOR WAS TO PAY
HER MEDICAL BILLS AND THEY
REFUSED.
>> AND WHEN PEOPLE THINK SHE
GOT MILLIONS, SHE DIDN'T GET
MILLIONS.
AND IN ANY TYPE OF LAWSUIT,
THERE
IS COMPENSATORY DAMAGES,
THE ACTUAL PAIN AND SUFFERING
AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES.
>> CAN YOU WIN A DVD OF THIS
HOT COFFEE THE MODIFY, OUR 11th
CALLER NOW.
582-7227.
>> AND CALL CARL ANY TIME AT
HIS OFFICE, 222-2222 FOR THE
CARL TRUMAN LAW OFFICE.
TRUMANLAWOFFICE.COM IS THE
WEBSITE.