The trial judge reduced the punitive damages to $480,000, but did state that McDonalds had engaged in willful, wanton, and reckless behavior. The reviews for this film alone ought . He was actually a major Democratic donor across the United States. Lending perspective, Saladoff also includes numerous man-in-the-street interviews, which clearly indicate that the general publics uninformed view of the case was that it was outrageous for someone to sue over hot coffee. We all know what the criminal justice system is. Hugo, Carly (Producer) You may forget you're even watching a documentary because of how funny and approachable it is. 13 Jan 2023 15:29:13 Bunn Matic Corporation 1998 , In Bogle v. Conclusion In conclusion, every person should be ready to analyze this problem before making his or her final decision. Hot Coffee instead tells the tale of something far less sudden but far more important than the fate of a French financier or the future of Orlando's most (in)famous citizen. OLIVER DIAZ: Exactly. Democracy Now! As Historic Storms & Flooding Kill 19 in California, Why Is Media Ignoring Role of Climate Change. 115 terms. And when she was hired, she was asked to sign an employment contract. OLIVER DIAZ: The original opponent, actually, I think he probably fared a little better. The title of the film stems from the widely-reported and commonly-mocked $2.9 million jury verdict awarded in 1994 to Stella Liebeck, an 81-year-old woman who claimed that she was injured because McDonalds served its coffee too hot. The corporate world presents new contracts to fund a new public relationship drive (Schmerler, 2011, p. 2). Mr. Minor co-signed that loan for my campaign. The documentary examines the issue from all dimensions using a number of case studies, personal testimonies, and court cases (Helland & Tabarrok, 2006). I did win my first election. IvyPanda. This documentary explores that case's impact on America. OLIVER DIAZ: Took me off the bench for over three years. But what weve seen lately are these corporations coming in, putting money into judicial races, and theyre promoting candidates who tend to support corporate interest rather than a fair, level playing field for average persons. Brian Oakes. If I ever see Chris Meladandri I'm gonna throw hot coffee in his face because I have a feeling that he has soemthing to do with how poor the script was. JOSEPH KALLAN DAIGLE: Did she get any on her head? harry hill family. And the McDonalds case became the poster child for whats wrong with people going to court and suing. Barista is an extremely engaging film about five of the top baristas in the world preparing to compete in the National Barista Championship. AMY GOODMAN: How long was the jury deliberation? OLIVER DIAZ: I won. 1 Hot Coffee Documentary Paper Yunxin Hu 2014/12/01 The Hot coffee Documentary talked about some real cases about the Roe v. Wade at 50 (Almost): What Abortion Access Looks Like After Constitutional Right Overturned, End Medical Debt: Fight Grows to Stop Hospitals from Suing Patients, Garnishing Wages, Ruining Credit, Elite Capture: Philosopher Olufmi O. Taiwo on How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics, Rep. Ro Khanna on CA Flooding, Big Oils Climate Denial, Debt Ceiling, Assange & Possible Senate Bid, From Infiltrating Wikipedia to Paying Trump Millions in Golf Deals, Saudis Whitewash Rights Record. This is a rush transcript. Letterman put it on one of his Top Ten lists. I was indicted for bribery, actually, based upon the campaign contributions, because I had to disclose my campaign contributions. But even after that, the myth of "the woman who got rich after abusing the court system over spilled coffee" persisted. There is simply nothing to gain, everything to lose and even the good cases are difficult to prosecute. AMY GOODMAN: An excerpt of Hot Coffee, talking about the case of Jamie Leigh Jones. And they began to investigate . Youve had massive amounts of funding, and people expect that when you have elections. Reagan humorously reports to his audience that, you may be startled to hear that the victim not only sued the driver, as expected, but an action was also brought against the telephone company, as if to suggest that a lawsuit against the telephone company was preposterous. Hot Coffee gives the perspective of four ordinary Americans who battled very different civil court cases against big business and the toll it took on their once normal lives. Frivolous Lawsuits and How We Perceive Them. to your inbox each morning. And so there was this humongous campaign by industry attempting to affect juries, but also attempting to affect senators. former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice. . AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you very much for being with us. OLIVER DIAZ: Exactly. Many scholars and analysts have identified this case as the best example of how corporations and tycoons have taken advantage of the countrys legal system. And its the case of Jamie Leigh Jones. Theyre going to look at the record, and theyre going to see that Ive never even voted on his cases.. I am encouraging every person to watch this documentary because it offers something special and meaningful towards a free nation. Mike: So they don't file a lawsuit immediately. AMY GOODMAN: Though, as your wife says in the film, what perhaps was one of the happiest days in your lives turned out to be one of the most catastrophic in the end. I said, Theres no way they could even pursue this. IvyPanda. Judiciary specifically for you. But after the election, the U.S. attorney, who was appointed by George Bush was a Republican congressman, a guy who had gotten defeated for Congress, and George Bush put him in for U.S. attorney he then began to investigate Democratic donors to judicial races in Mississippi and began a prosecution of me at that time, a prosecution based upon my campaign contributions. An eye-opening documentary with jaw-dropping revelations, HOT COFFEE exposes how corporations spend millions on propaganda campaigns to distort Americans' view of lawsuits forever changing the civil justice system. But as Saladoff explains in the opening story of her documentary "Hot Coffee" this wasn't the story corporate interests wanted you to hear. 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 courtroom after being injured. JAMIE LEIGH JONES: I had never heard of a mandatory arbitration clause before I had signed my employment contract with Halliburton. SUSAN SALADOFF: This is Judge Oliver Diaz. This research paper on Hot Coffee Documentary was written and submitted by your fellow JOSEPH KALLAN DAIGLE: A Coke for breakfast, huh? Essay, Pages 3 (604 words) Views. It informs the citizens why many corporations have continued to support this reform. I mean, its like the biggest corporation down there. It shows gasp . View Essay - Hot Coffee Documentary Paper from BLW 1001 at St. John's University. 33 terms. We have a criminal justice system and a civil justice system. AMY GOODMAN: who went to jail, and Rove played a key role. A documentary about the lies that let to 'tort reform.'' And people say, Well, why should I care about that? Well, why you should care is because the company that you are having the dispute with, once youve signed that, they pick the decision maker, the arbitrator, they pay for the decision maker, the decision maker doesnt have to give a reason why theyve come up with the decision, its completely secretive, and theres no right to appeal. 27 March. Judge and Jury: American Tort Law on Trial. Saladoff presents a compelling case on how corporate America has used sensationalized lawsuit settlements to curry public opinion against the ordinary citizens right to bring a case in court. And I wanted to tell the truth. Cengage: Cengage Learning. Three days after I was acquitted, I was re-indicted again. And in it all, Ms. Liebeck's story was largely lost. Letterman put it on one of his Top Ten lists. It also explores how the case gained much attention (Saladoff, 2011). Learn More. We will write a custom Research Paper on Hot Coffee Documentary specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page. And its going to start happening all across the country. [includes rush transcript]. must. Subscribe for new videos every day! The issue for us all is, what can and should we do to see that justice is a reality and not just a slogan?' Do you have a gym membership? The infamous hot coffee case against McDonald's is one of the featured stories in this documentary directed by Susan Saladoff. The viewer also understands how the company profited. AMY GOODMAN: I want to go to a clip right now of Jamie Leigh Jones, speaking herself. AMY GOODMAN: Susan, why dont you introduce the man sitting next to you? All rights reserved. | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. From a personal perspective, this documentary presents a clear insight into the problem with McDonalds and other companies contracts. Most Americans are likely to realize this is not a full cup of coffee. The cases were chosen as examples of why tort reform doesn't work. The punitive damages represented two-days' worth of McDonald's coffee sales.What also went largely unreported is the fact that the $2.7MM in punitive damages was reduced, by the judge, to $480,000 . The documentary Hot Coffee tells the story of former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz. Barry, come out from under there. After the car stopped, she tried to hold the cup securely between her knees while removing the lid. Susan Saladoff, director of last year's excellent HBO documentary Hot Coffee, came to New Orleans on Monday for a screening of her film, a Q&A session, and a talk with law students at Tulane and Loyola University about the film and its message.She traveled to Baton Rouge the next day for similar talks with law . JOANNE DOROSHOW: It is essentially laws that restrict peoples rights to go to court. Your privacy is extremely important to us. AMY GOODMAN: OK, Judge Diaz, tell us your story and what happened. The film informs the reader about the facts of the case (Schmerler, 2011). Yale Journal of Medicine and Law, 8(1), 1-4. SUSAN SALADOFF: Do you own a credit do you have a credit card? The documentary Hot Coffee tells the story of former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz. Open Document. People dont even know what it means, because its something no dispute has happened yet. McDonalds Operations Manual required the franchisee to hold its coffee at 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit; Coffee at that temperature, if spilled, causes third-degree burns (the worst kind of burn) in three to seven seconds; Third-degree burns do not heal without skin grafting, debridement and whirlpool treatments that cost tens of thousands of dollars and result in permanent disfigurement, extreme pain and disability of the victim for many months, and in some cases, years; The chairman of the department of mechanical engineering and bio-mechanical engineering at the University of Texas testified that this risk of harm is unacceptable, as did a widely recognized expert on burns, the editor in chief of the leading scholarly publication in the specialty, the Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation; McDonalds admitted that it has known about the risk of serious burns from its scalding hot coffee for more than 10 years the risk was brought to its attention through numerous other claims and suits, to no avail; From 1982 to 1992, McDonalds coffee burned more than 700 people, many receiving severe burns to the genital area, perineum, inner thighs, and buttocks; Not only men and women, but also children and infants, have been burned by McDonalds scalding hot coffee, in some instances due to inadvertent spillage by McDonalds employees; McDonalds admitted at trial that its coffee is not fit for consumption when sold because it causes severe scalds if spilled or drunk; McDonalds admitted at trial that consumers are unaware of the extent of the risk of serious burns from spilled coffee served at McDonalds then required temperature; McDonalds admitted that it did not warn customers of the nature and extent of this risk and could offer no explanation as to why it did not; Liebecks treating physician testified that her injury was one of the worst scald burns he had ever seen. In the end, the jury awarded $160K in compensatory damages (medical bills, lost wages, pain & suffering) and $2.7 Million in punitive damages. OLIVER DIAZ: Took me off the bench for over three years. Even though Stella still won about 680,000, the law that the people past for caps on punitive damages . OLIVER DIAZ: Well, I think people are very familiar with elections in America, and for years youve had corporations donating to the executive branch, presidents and governors, of the legislative branch, your House of Representatives and Senate. Hot Coffee Documentary. There were three candidates, and we were in the top two, and we had to face a runoff. You would be surprised at the similarities in the cases. It is directed by Susan Saladoff, who has practiced as a medical malpractice attorney for at least 26 years. AMY GOODMAN: Susan, why dont you introduce the man sitting next to you? OLIVER DIAZ: I was completely acquitted in the trial. Wow! Alabama, they did the same thing. 9 terms. Judge Diaz actually was a justice of the Mississippi State Supreme Court until he was targeted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for defeat because he wasnt corporate enough. "Hot Coffee Documentary." No matter whether your politics lean left or right, Hot Coffee is a potent and provocative documentary. And what everyone is doing these days is they are literally voluntarily giving up their right to access the court system, and they dont even know theyre doing it. In refusing to grant a new trial in the case, Judge Robert Scott called McDonalds behavior callous.. Seinfeld mocked it. While there may be no reliable data about the number of frivolous lawsuits filed each year, the civil justice system is largely self-regulating and the vast majority of frivolous lawsuits are weeded out early. AMY GOODMAN: Yet, you did have to disclose who gave you money. He is featured in the film. Hot Coffee (350) 7.5 1 h 28 min 2011 X-Ray NR. All right, scramble, jocks! They looked at my largest contributor, which was a very good friend of mine named Paul Minor. Many corporations and their insurers have always been on the frontline to attack civil juries in the past three decades. Saladoff follows the Reagan clip with the facts: The telephone booth was erected too close to the highway and had been hit by cars several times before, damaging the phone booth door, which was never properly repaired. She went into shock and was hospitalized for a week, undergoing numerous skin graft . Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy. Sign up for our Daily News Digest today! The insurance companies and corporations know this and will vigorously defend highly meritorious injury cases because for them, it is not about justice. This documentary maintains that many giant companies have designed new contracts and structures that can strip away the rights of the people (Ruschmann & Marzilli, 2009). We were completely acquitted. Hot Coffeelends a strong voice to those who favor fundamental fairness in redressing well-founded personal injury legal claims. He was forced off the bench for three years to fight the charges and was acquitted. And again, the Chamber came in, put massive amounts of money against me, and I was defeated in the second election, because of well, you could imagine the publicity that I had received while I was on the bench, and it was very difficult to overcome that. You would be surprised at the similarities in the cases. WOMAN ON THE STREET 1: Mandatory arbitration is how somebody has to be involved in the case, isnt it or something? This means it forced her to give up her right to seek redress in court if she was wronged. The judiciary, the judicial branch of government, has been separate from that for years and years. (2011). And so, I was faced with having to run an election with massive amounts of money coming in against me and having to raise the resources on my own to [inaudible] -. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Explain her case. McDonalds did a survey of other coffee establishments in the area, and found that coffee at other places was between 30-40 degrees cooler. This is true because it informs more people about the consequences of tort reform policies and laws. The film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2011, and later aired on HBO on June 27, 2011, as a part of HBO films documentary summer . Oxman, Alan (Producer). They came into the state of Texas and took over the Supreme Court there. Its sort of - if youre familiar with the Citizens United case at the U.S. Supreme Court recently, corporations were able to contribute massive amounts of money without having to disclose where those funds come from or even how much money theyve put into the races in Mississippi. Goldberg, J., & Zipursky, B. Filmmaker Susan Saladoff directs this documentary that examines the case of Liebeck v. Directors Susan Saladoff Starring Joan Claybrook, Oliver Diaz, Joanne Doroshow Genres Special Interest, Documentary Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages . The citizens have continued to suffer because they lack the required cash. I wanted people to understand that they were giving up their constitutional rights every day to access the courts, and they didnt even know they were doing it. Hot Coffee, the debut documentary film from Susan Saladoff's, concentrates on the decades-old debate about limiting money judgments in civil lawsuit cases.The title of the film stems from the widely-reported and commonly-mocked $2.9 million jury verdict awarded in 1994 to Stella Liebeck, an 81-year-old woman who claimed that she was injured because McDonald's served its coffee too hot. Diego Maradona. by | May 25, 2022 | buvette nyc reservations | american cancer society 40 mile challenge 2021 | May 25, 2022 | buvette nyc reservations | american cancer society 40 mile challenge 2021 However, Saladoff sees things differently. Terms to Know Punitive damages: damages exceeding simple compensation and awarded to punish the defendant; purpose is to change behavior of the wrongdoer. More than simply compensating victims, meritorious lawsuits can force corporate or individual defendants to change or modify the behavior that caused the harm or injury. Mrs. Liebeck and McDonalds eventually settled for a confidential amount. While our civil justice system is the best in the world, Hot Coffee makes it clear that it is being threatened in very frightening ways. I did. We were able to prevail. It is about not paying, even when they know they are wrong. Please do your part today. However, the cup tipped over, pouring scalding hot coffee onto her lap. JOSEPH KALLAN DAIGLE: You thirsty? She spent 25 years as a public interest lawyer representing victims of corporate negligence. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. One of those cases is one that a number of people have heard of, but I dont think they would have thought of it as an issue of corporate malfeasance. And they used that as a launching pad to sort of pick off state Supreme Court justices all around the country, using that model. JOAN CLAYBROOK: Well, tort reform is a term drummed up by some of the advertising people for the business sector, which is to limit the likelihood that you can bring a lawsuit. Im going to have me an orange juice. AMY GOODMAN: So, talk about exactly what happened to you. A rambunctious road trip reveals the toll that environmental deregulation, A dramatic, musical, documentary satire on class in America that attempts, A non-partisan look at the consequences of big-money campaign donations, 2023 Docuseek, LLCAll rights reserved | Privacy Statement | Accessibility Statement, McDonald's coffee case, corporate America, civil justice system, tort reform, access to justice, frivolous lawsuits, Stella Liebeck, jackpot justice, torts, civil justice, lawsuit, public relations, caps on damages, Colin Gourley, Jamie Leigh Jones, Oliver Diaz, judicial elections, money in politics, judges, corporations, US Chamber of Commerce, big business, judicial system, courts, jackpot justice, contracts, mandatory arbitration,"Hot Coffee",Bullfrog Films. AMY GOODMAN: How long was the jury deliberation? This is Democracy Now! Tort claims serve the public good. 1. student. 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