Hot Coffee

[LHS]

I'm not trying to beat anyone up. Of course your perceptions were wrong! The mainstream media grabbed onto its much more provocative version of events and talked about it for days and days. It became part of our cultural history. That's why this documentary used it as an example.

FWIW, this case was going on while I was in law school and I thought it was all baloney, too, until it came up in an ethics class. The instructor clued us in on those facts that were missing or outright misrepresented by network TV and a room full of arrogant lawyers-to-be all looked around at each other... mind blown!

No worries. Re-reading my last post, it could be taken as sullen. Nothing could be further from the truth. I should have put a smiley face on it or something, because I meant it that way. I had ass-u-me-d that she was driving and stuck the coffee between her legs. In all the media coverage, I never heard anything to the contrary. I still think sticking a hot coffee cup between your thighs is silly and dangerous, but it's not quite as much so as doing so while driving. Heck, I've done it myself a few times out of sheer convenience.

[BLR]

I'm not trying to beat anyone up. Of course your perceptions were wrong! The mainstream media grabbed onto its much more provocative version of events and talked about it for days and days. It became part of our cultural history. That's why this documentary used it as an example.

FWIW, this case was going on while I was in law school and I thought it was all baloney, too, until it came up in an ethics class. The instructor clued us in on those facts that were missing or outright misrepresented by network TV and a room full of arrogant lawyers-to-be all looked around at each other... mind blown!

What was the ethics based argument?

[ToddG]

What was the ethics based argument?

The day's class was about whether lawyers are really all evil and looking to cash in big on minor happenstance ("jackpot justice" and the like). Put another way, is it right to sue a big corporation for millions over some hot coffee?

[BLR]

The day's class was about whether lawyers are really all evil and looking to cash in big on minor happenstance ("jackpot justice" and the like). Put another way, is it right to sue a big corporation for millions over some hot coffee?

Ah. I thought the ethics class provided a counter argument.

[David Armstrong]

A great case. I've used it for years in my classes to discuss civil cases and lawsuits. I generally present the story as the media gave it, get the class all upset about how stupid this lady was and how she shouldn't have gotten anything. Then we go into some of the details of the case and what actually happened. Interesting way to teach them about how easily stories can be slanted and twisted through very minor omissions and distortions.

[Nephrology]

Not really. Third degree burns happen easily. Especially with mediums that have good thermal mass and conductivity. That's why water is a heat exchange medium with such popularity.

Not to mention her clothes kept contact time as long as possible.

I am mercifully unfamiliar with burns. Thanks for the perspective.

[Nephrology]

It's amazing how much we *all* fall for this when we aren't thinking about it. The news is so accurate when reporting gun stuff, they must be just as correct and well-researched in other areas!

The scary thing is how much it effects the culture of torts and insurance. I saw a study (done by some lawyers, of course, so take a grain of salt with it) that shows that torts hadn't actually been increasing over the last couple decades. But everyone *knows* how litigious our society is nowadays and adjusts their behavior accordingly anyway. All it is takes is one bastardized version of some settlement somewhere and suddenly every school is zero tolerance and you have to sign five waivers to do anything fun because everyone *knows* they'll get sued out of business otherwise.

To be fair, I worked in a clinic in which we received lawsuits or threats of lawsuits on a nigh weekly basis. However, almost all of them were filed on behalf of total cranks and never made it as far as a judge's desk once they met the strong arm of the hospital legal team. They had a pretty efficient strategy of retaining "actual lawyers."

[Tamara]

It's amazing how much we *all* fall for this when we aren't thinking about it. The news is so accurate when reporting gun stuff, they must be just as correct and well-researched in other areas!

The condition is termed "Gell-Mann Amnesia".

[RoyGBiv]

The condition is termed "Gell-Mann Amnesia".

Perfect timing... I sent that link to my sister... She won't get it, but I'll feel better knowing I've tried.

Thank you.!

ETA: Took exactly 5 minutes to receive this reply..

I will be sure not to email you another article again. Hugs and kisses.

[ford.304]

The condition is termed "Gell-Mann Amnesia".

I'm well familiar with it. I just couldn't for the life of me remember the name, and it's kind of a hard term to reverse google search for. Thanks