The most famous case in legal history
A documentary is in production that intends to tell the story behind the highly publicized and maligned "McDonalds coffee case" - you know, "that case" that everyone points to when they talk about how lawsuits are out of control in our country, although no-one seems to be able to tell you the facts of the case.
The McDonald’s coffee case has been routinely cited by the media as an example of how citizens have taken advantage of the legal system. In this documentary, you will learn what really happened to Stella, meet her grandson, who was driving the car, and hear from her doctor, the lawyers, McDonald’s quality assurance manager, and the jurors. Was the media’s portrayal of this case fair or was there an agenda by tort-reform groups to create a public perception that lawsuits were out of control. How did it become the poster child for tort reform, what is tort reform and how does it affect everyday Americans?
The tort reform advocates (corporations and the insurance industry) have been extremely effective in spreading propaganda and winning over the public to their cause. What is their cause? Save the doctors and the mom and pop businesses from the flood of frivolous lawsuits brought by greedy plaintiffs? Their goal is and has always been to prevent access to justice whenever possible, and when that is not possible to minimize their losses and maximize their profits by paying out as little as possible to people who are injured.
The plaintiffs bar has not come anywhere close to being as pro-active as the chambers of commerce and insurance industry at reaching the public with their message. Why? Perhaps because it is not the civil defense attorneys, but rather Corporate America that has funded the propaganda of "tort reform." The little people, the ordinary citizens who are hurt by corporations or denied compensation by the insurance company, do not have the billions of dollars that Corporate America collectively has to fund such an effort. The ordinary citizens who are hurt and denied justice did not know that they would become victims of "tort reform," and did not care until they were the ones thrown under the bus - and then it was too late.
Who will speak for those who do not have the billion dollar megaphone with which to speak for themselves?
