We all remember the famous McDonald’s “hot coffee” incident: in what many at the time deemed a frivolous lawsuit, a woman sued the fast food chain after sustaining serious burn injuries from the high temperature coffee. Last year, however, the documentary Hot Coffee used the case to examine the American legal system, arguing that corporations use media outlets to turn public opinion against the plaintiffs in such cases.
In response to that documentary, a new voice of opposition has arisen: the vaguely named Institute for Legal Reform, founded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1998, launched the website HotCoffeeTruth.com to tell “the whole truth” about the facts presented in Hot Coffee. The website links to a panel conversation split into six different YouTube videos. The panel calls Hot Coffee one-sided propaganda that unfairly villainizes corporations.
The irony is overpowering. Corporations join together to produce a propaganda campaign of their own to dispel the “propaganda” seen in an objective documentary. The same people behind HotCoffeeTruth.com would benefit immensely from tort reform, which would cap damages in injury lawsuits against corporations. Judging by nearly every YouTube user comment on each HotCoffeeTruth.com video, people are not buying it.
It reminds us of Amos, a biblical Prophet who warned against allowing the rich and greedy to keep the poor from seeking justice in the courtroom. If a company or corporation is responsible for an injury you have sustained, such as a burn injury or traumatic brain injury, contact us today for a free consultation. Do not be intimidated by the size and wealth of big companies. David killed Goliath with a single stone, after all.
“Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts. Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.” – Amos 5:15