If you think that the above photo is funny, you are an idiot. People do not win large amounts of money with "Frivilous Lawsuits".
Nearly ten years later, critics of civil justice and juries continue to mock Stella Liebeck and the McDonald's coffee case, calling it 'frivolous' and 'laughable'. However, it was McDonald's own testimony and actions that led a jury to rule against it. And Stella's injuries–which included 3rd degree burns across her groin, inner thighs, and buttocks–were no laughing matter.
Facts About the Case:Stella Liebeck of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was in the passenger seat of her grandson's car when she was severely burned by McDonald's coffee in February 1992. Liebeck ordered coffee that was served in a Styrofoam cup at the drive-through window of a local McDonald's.
Critics of civil justice often charge that Liebeck was driving the car or that the vehicle was in motion when she spilled the coffee; neither is true. After receiving the order, the grandson pulled his car forward and stopped momentarily so that Liebeck could add cream and sugar to her coffee. Liebeck placed the cup between her knees and attempted to remove the plastic lid from the cup. As Liebeck removed the lid, the entire contents of the cup spilled into her lap.
The sweatpants Liebeck was wearing absorbed the coffee and held it next to her skin.
Stella Liebeck's Injury and HospitalizationA vascular surgeon determined that Liebeck suffered full thickness burns (or third-degree burns) over 6 percent of her body.
Liebeck suffered burns on her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, and genital and groin areas.
She was hospitalized for eight days, during which time she underwent skin grafting and debridement treatments (the surgical removal of tissue).
Stella Liebeck's Initial ClaimLiebeck sought to settle her claim for $20,000, but McDonald's refused.
McDonald's AttitudeDuring discovery, McDonald's produced documents showing more than 700 claims by people burned by its coffee between 1982 and 1992. Some claims involved third-degree burns substantially similar to Liebeck's. This history documented McDonald's knowledge about the extent and nature of this hazard.
McDonald's also said during discovery that, based on a consultant's advice, it held its coffee at between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain optimum taste.
Other establishments sell coffee at substantially lower temperatures than at McDonald's.
Coffee served at home is generally 135 to 140 degrees.
Damaging TestimonyMcDonald's own quality assurance manager testified that a burn hazard exists with any food substance served at 140 degrees or above and that McDonald's coffee was not fit for consumption because it would burn the mouth and throat.
The quality assurance manager further testified that the company actively enforces a requirement that coffee be held in the pot at 185 degrees, plus or minus five degrees. He also testified that while burns would occur, McDonald's had no intention of reducing the "holding temperature" of its coffee.
Plaintiff's expert, a scholar in thermodynamics as applied to human skin burns, testified that liquids at 180 degrees will cause a full thickness burn to human skin in two to seven seconds.
Other testimony showed that as the temperature decreases toward 155 degrees, the extent of the burn relative to that temperature decreases exponentially. Thus, if Liebeck's spill had involved coffee at 155 degrees, the liquid would have cooled and given her time to avoid a serious burn.
McDonald's asserted that customers buy coffee on their way to work or home, intending to consume it there. However, the company's own research showed that customers intend to consume the coffee immediately while driving.
McDonald's also argued that consumers know coffee is hot and that its customers want it that way. The company admitted its customers were unaware that they could suffer third-degree burns from the coffee and that a statement on the side of the cup was not a "warning" but a "reminder" since the location of the writing would not warn customers of the hazard.
According to The Wall Street Journal The Wall Street Journal wrote (September 1, 1994), "The testimony of Mr. [Christopher] Appleton, the McDonald's executive, didn't help the company, jurors said later. He testified that McDonald's knew its coffee sometimes caused serious burns, but hadn't consulted burn experts about it. He also testified that McDonald's had decided not to warn customers about the possibility of severe burns, even though most people wouldn't think it possible. Finally, he testified that McDonald's didn't intend to change any of its coffee policies or procedures, saying, 'There are more serious dangers in restaurants.' "
The Journal quoted one juror, Jack Elliott, remarking after the trial that the case had been about such "callous disregard for the safety of the people."
The Journal story continued, "Next for the defense came P. Robert Knaff, a human-factors engineer who earned $15,000 in fees from the case and who, several jurors said later, didn't help McDonald's either. Dr. Knaff told the jury that hot-coffee burns were statistically insignificant when compared to the billion cups of coffee McDonald's sells annually. To jurors, Dr. Knaff seemed to be saying that the graphic photos they had seen of Mrs. Liebeck's burns didn't matter because they were rare. 'There was a person behind every number and I don't think the corporation was attaching enough importance to that,' says juror Betty Farnham."
At the beginning of the trial, jury foreman Jerry Goens told the Journal, he "wasn't convinced as to why I needed to be there to settle a coffee spill."
By the end of the trial, Betty Farnham told the Journal, "The facts were so overwhelmingly against the company. They were not taking care of their customers."
The VerdictThe jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages. This amount was reduced to $160,000 because the jury found Liebeck 20 percent at fault in the spill. The jury also awarded Liebeck $2.7 million in punitive damages, which equals about two days of McDonald's coffee sales.
Post-verdict investigation found that the temperature of coffee at the local Albuquerque McDonald's had dropped to 158 degrees Fahrenheit.
The trial court subsequently reduced the punitive award to $480,000—or three times compensatory damages—even though the judge called McDonald's conduct reckless, callous and willful. Subsequent to remittitur, the parties entered a post-verdict settlement.
1. Take a bunch of jalapenos.
I recently watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The real, 1971 version. Am I the only one that thinks fate was a little harsh on Mike TV?
For an introduction to Old West Tales, click here: Old West Tales - Introduction
Rich loved Japan. He always talked about Japan.
The Tragically Hip is my favorite band and the Official Turnipblog Band(link). 
A few weeks later we were hanging out on the Greek Island of Ios and we somehow found out where the Hip were touring. Beattie convinced us that we needed to fly to Frankfurt for a Hip show, and from there we would go to Munich, and then fly home. 
Biter - A parent who pulls out a vehicle's back-seat shoulder-belt and then clamps their teeth on the belt to maintain slack so that their hands are free to install an infant seat.
On Christmas Eve, I wrote about the hilarious SNL rap video Lazy Sunday(link). 
If you are contemplating this question - Yes, you should.
How many points do you think is alot for one player to score in a basketball game?
This has been a busy Space week. In addition to last Sunday's safe landing of the Stardust capsule(link), on Thursday NASA launched the first probe bound for the planet Pluto and beyond.
The spacecraft is designed to begin observing Pluto about five months before its scheduled flyby in July 2015, which will take place about three billion miles from Earth .
Kevin was speechless and stood looking at me like a wounded puppy. I just shrugged my shoulders. Kevin knew that he and Beattie could not co-exist at Burnout, and Durham was a lot shorter drive home than Sewannee or Columbia, so Kevin turned to leave. As he did so, Beattie put the sole of his shoe on Kevin's butt and nudged him down the stairs. 
After the capsule’s recovery, a “bank vault-like” canister holding the interstellar and comet samples was removed in Utah for transportation to NASA Johnson Space Center(see photo at right), in Houston, Texas, where the capsule was opened.
If you answered "yes" to either of the above questions, then you need to check out Pandora. 
I like Space. You may not care about Space, but I have been fascinated by it since I was a child.
Whenever I learn of events that signal The End Times, I will issue an Apocalypse Alert.
Hampton trace - 101 Chimney Hill Road
Freshman year Joe had been was my suitemate and Joe's roomate, also from Siler City, had been Lon Griffin. Lon transferred to Elon College Sophomore year to play baseball. Lon was a good pitcher. Every month or so, Joe and I would drive about 45 minutes to Elon to see Lon. Not much happening in Elon.
Joe and Lon and I would go camping every few months, either at Jordan Lake or at a place called Major Hill that Lon said was an Indian burial ground. Lon also said that these indians were buried standing up and a circle of rocks would be around their heads. One time at Major Hill, we parked and hiked all the way to where we wanted to camp. When we arrived at the campsite, at dusk, Lon bent over, and the half-gallon of "Triple A" (Ancient Ancient Age bourbon) slipped out of Lon's back-pack and busted onto the ground. Of course we unspokenly agreed and hiked back to the car and drove to the liquor store where we only had enough money for "Double A" (Ancient Age bourbon). By the time we set up our tents, it was pitch black.
Spring Break, Joe and I made a week long road trip to Florida. I financed the entire trip by delivering pizzas for Gumby's on both Friday and Saturday night the weekend before Spring Break. It snowed all weekend and everyone was ordering pizzas and giving huge tips. There was a private dorm called Granville Towers and for some reason Gumby's managers made the kids at Granville meet the delivery guy in the lobby. One night that weekend I walked into the lobby of Granville South with 6 different orders and the kids walked up and got their pizzas and tipped me, one by one. I made $100 each night. To start Spring Break, we drove to Jacksonville and stayed with the very nice family of our friend Scott Bain for a few days. Then we drove on down to Daytona and crashed at the Thunderbird hotel on the floor of the hotel room of some friends. The friends were cool girls with boyfriends. We payed nothing for the room except buying the maid a hot dog across the street at T.C.'s Top Dog in exchange for not reporting us to management. I have never seen so many cars. At least two people got killed every night crossing the main street. Every week was biker week. They let cars drive on the beach during the day and the cars would just cruise back and forth, up and down the beach. MTV was there. I watched it in the Hotel room even though it was only a few blocks away.
Hipeponymous is about $50, and features:
Legos,
Chapter V - Show and "Oh".
A few years ago we were at Church and there was an attractive, petit, mother of two standing next to us.
