Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

[Tim Frank]

If a woman burns her thighs on the hot coffee she was holding between her knees in the car, she blames the restaurant.

If your teen-age son kills himself, you blame the rock 'n' roll music or musician he liked.

If you smoke three packs a day for 40 years and are dying of lung cancer, you blame the tobacco company.

If your daughter gets pregnant by the football captain, you blame the school for poor sex education.

If your neighbor crashes into a tree while driving home drunk, you blame the bartender.

If your cousin gets AIDS because the needle he used to shoot up heroin with was dirty, you blame the government for not providing clean ones.

If your grandchildren are brats without manners, you blame television.

If your friend is shot by a deranged madman, you blame the gun manufacturer.

And finally, if a crazed person breaks into the cockpit and tries to kill the pilots at 35,000 feet, and the passengers kill him instead, the mother of the now-deceased terrorist blames the airline.

I must have lived too long to understand the world as it is anymore.

So if I die while my old, wrinkled *** is parked in front of this computer, I want you all to sue Bill Gates, OK?

 

[lil buggy]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

sure,lol
careful i think a lawsuit is forthcoming. shish:facepalm:




seriously tho
you are right on.
no one wants to take responsibility for thier own actions anymore

 

[62 ROYAL SCOTT]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

Hey, do me a favor put me in your will

 

[woodsyfeller]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

quick answer
1 take personal responsibility for your own actions...no matter what the sitiuation is you always have a choice...what ever you decide to do as an individual take responsibility for your own actions.

2 to many lawyers

stop pointing fingers chances are it was your fault.

 

[flycaster]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

quick answer
1 take personal responsibility for your own actions...no matter what the sitiuation is you always have a choice...what ever you decide to do as an individual take responsibility for your own actions.

2 to many lawyers

stop pointing fingers chances are it was your fault.

REMEMBER When you point your finger, you are aiming three fingers back at yourself.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

If a woman burns her thighs on the hot coffee she was holding between her knees in the car, she blames the restaurant.

I am so sick of seeing this one used as an example of a frivolous suit.

http://www.slip-and-sue.com/the-famous-infamous-mcdonalds-coffee-spill-lawsuit-revisited/

 

[lncoop]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

I am so sick of seeing this one used as an example of a frivolous suit.

http://www.slip-and-sue.com/the-famous-infamous-mcdonalds-coffee-spill-lawsuit-revisited/

I prefer the Cramer example.

 

[64osby]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

^^^ But the judge has the ability to reduce or add to any settlement.

I was on a wrongful death jury and we awarded $250,000. The Plaintiff's attorney was able to collect an additional $150,000 for fee's and expenses. 3 mock trials had the same result that we awarded, prior to the actual trail. The plaintiff was asking for 7 million. No settlement was reached, everybody goes to trial and one week later it is settled.

This was all for a woman that was 98 years old, senile and living in a home.

Was this prudent use of the court system?

 

[levittownnick]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

Which one of us will not hire an attorney if we are involved in a law suite or criminal action? I think it will only be the fool.

 

[Philster]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

If a woman burns her thighs on the hot coffee she was holding between her knees in the car, she blames the restaurant.

McFact No. 1: For years, McDonald's had known they had a problem with the way they make their coffee - that their coffee was served much hotter (at least 20 degrees more so) than at other restaurants.

McFact No. 2: McDonald's knew its coffee sometimes caused serious injuries - more than 700 incidents of scalding coffee burns in the past decade have been settled by the Corporation - and yet they never so much as consulted a burn expert regarding the issue.

McFact No. 3: The woman involved in this infamous case suffered very serious injuries - third degree burns on her groin, thighs and buttocks that required skin grafts and a seven-day hospital stay.

McFact No. 4: The woman, an 81-year old former department store clerk who had never before filed suit against anyone, said she wouldn't have brought the lawsuit against McDonald's had the Corporation not dismissed her request for compensation for medical bills.

McFact No. 5: A McDonald's quality assurance manager testified in the case that the Corporation was aware of the risk of serving dangerously hot coffee and had no plans to either turn down the heat or to post warning about the possibility of severe burns, even though most customers wouldn't think it was possible.

McFact No. 6: After careful deliberation, the jury found McDonald's was liable because the facts were overwhelmingly against the company. When it came to the punitive damages, the jury found that McDonald's had engaged in willful, reckless, malicious, or wanton conduct, and rendered a punitive damage award of 2.7 million dollars. (The equivalent of just two days of coffee sales, McDonalds Corporation generates revenues in excess of 1.3 million dollars daily from the sale of its coffee, selling 1 billion cups each year.)

McFact No. 7: On appeal, a judge lowered the award to $480,000, a fact not widely publicized in the media.

McFact No. 8: A report in Liability Week, September 29, 1997, indicated that Kathleen Gilliam, 73, suffered first degree burns when a cup of coffee spilled onto her lap. Reports also indicate that McDonald's consistently keeps its coffee at 185 degrees, still approximately 20 degrees hotter than at other restaurants. Third degree burns occur at this temperature in just two to seven seconds, requiring skin grafting, debridement and whirlpool treatments that cost tens of thousands of dollars and result in permanent disfigurement, extreme pain and disability to the victims for many months, and in some cases, years.

.

 

[Philster]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

If a woman burns her thighs on the hot coffee she was holding between her knees in the car, she blames the restaurant.

If you smoke three packs a day for 40 years and are dying of lung cancer, you blame the tobacco company.

Actually, no one blames the tobacco company. What tobacco companies have been found liable for is working at the chemicals contained cigarettes to make them more addictive and they've deliberately hid information that showed how dangerous their products are.

 

[Philster]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

Not sure what that means.

You blaming the customer?

 

[64osby]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

The age of the woman has no bearing on if it was right or wrong. Believe this, when (if) I am 98 my biggest goal will be to see 99.

But will you realize that you are turning 99. And yes I understand the age has no impact on possible negligence.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

McFact No. 1: For years, McDonald's had known they had a problem with the way they make their coffee - that their coffee was served much hotter (at least 20 degrees more so) than at other restaurants.

McFact No. 2: McDonald's knew its coffee sometimes caused serious injuries - more than 700 incidents of scalding coffee burns in the past decade have been settled by the Corporation - and yet they never so much as consulted a burn expert regarding the issue.

McFact No. 3: The woman involved in this infamous case suffered very serious injuries - third degree burns on her groin, thighs and buttocks that required skin grafts and a seven-day hospital stay.

McFact No. 4: The woman, an 81-year old former department store clerk who had never before filed suit against anyone, said she wouldn't have brought the lawsuit against McDonald's had the Corporation not dismissed her request for compensation for medical bills.

McFact No. 5: A McDonald's quality assurance manager testified in the case that the Corporation was aware of the risk of serving dangerously hot coffee and had no plans to either turn down the heat or to post warning about the possibility of severe burns, even though most customers wouldn't think it was possible.

McFact No. 6: After careful deliberation, the jury found McDonald's was liable because the facts were overwhelmingly against the company. When it came to the punitive damages, the jury found that McDonald's had engaged in willful, reckless, malicious, or wanton conduct, and rendered a punitive damage award of 2.7 million dollars. (The equivalent of just two days of coffee sales, McDonalds Corporation generates revenues in excess of 1.3 million dollars daily from the sale of its coffee, selling 1 billion cups each year.)

McFact No. 7: On appeal, a judge lowered the award to $480,000, a fact not widely publicized in the media.

McFact No. 8: A report in Liability Week, September 29, 1997, indicated that Kathleen Gilliam, 73, suffered first degree burns when a cup of coffee spilled onto her lap. Reports also indicate that McDonald's consistently keeps its coffee at 185 degrees, still approximately 20 degrees hotter than at other restaurants. Third degree burns occur at this temperature in just two to seven seconds, requiring skin grafting, debridement and whirlpool treatments that cost tens of thousands of dollars and result in permanent disfigurement, extreme pain and disability to the victims for many months, and in some cases, years.

.

Oh brother. I think someone was weaned on a McPickle ....
Gee, thanks "Tips"....

This has been discussed several times in here....

Including, from 2010 :

That case (Stella Liebeck) is one of the most misreported I have ever seen.
The final court award was actually $640K and there was a secret settlement reached after the fact that is obviously, well, secret....but clearly somewhere between 0 and 640K.

If you read the details of the case :
From http://www.stellaawards.com/stella.html , Stella was not driving when she pulled the lid off her scalding McDonald's coffee. Her grandson was driving the car, and he had pulled over to stop so she could add cream and sugar to the cup.
Stella was burned badly (some sources say six percent of her skin was burned, other sources say 16 percent was) and needed two years of treatment and rehabilitation, including skin grafts. McDonald's refused an offer to settle with her for $20,000 in medical costs.
McDonald's quality control managers specified that its coffee should be served at 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit. Liquids at that temperature can cause third-degree burns in 2-7 seconds. Such burns require skin grafting, debridement and whirlpool treatments to heal, and the resulting scarring is typically permanent.
From 1982 to 1992, McDonald's coffee burned more than 700 people, usually slightly but sometimes seriously, resulting in some number of other claims and lawsuits.
Witnesses for McDonald's admitted in court that consumers are unaware of the extent of the risk of serious burns from spilled coffee served at McDonald's required temperature, admitted that it did not warn customers of this risk, could offer no explanation as to why it did not, and testified that it did not intend to turn down the heat even though it admitted that its coffee is "not fit for consumption" when sold because it is too hot.

I wouldn't dispute the frequently over-litigiousness of society these days, but I don't think that this a a good example of a "benevolent" large corporation being taken advantage of by a gold-digger.

In this instance, I think most people are able to realise that this OP was a C&P of something e-mailed to me, and meant to amuse, not generate discussion....:facepalm:

 

[dubs283]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

in america there is no law against being stupid - our prisons are already overcrowded

 

[StevNimrod]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

The irony is not lost on me: we preach personal responsibility, but are very quick to blame the lawyers.

Personally, I think it's still a matter of personal responsibility and we would be better off if we weren't trying to screw each other (using lawyers to facilitate) every time we got the chance. Not everyone is like that, but more and more people are trying to turn the screws on somebody for every little thing.

And we wonder why we have problems. But like Bubba, I can't think of anyplace else I'd rather be. The nice thing about making your own problems is that you can fix them.

 

[FlaCowboy]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

We used to be Land of the Free and Home of the Brave...

Now it is more like Land of the Lawsuits...Home of the Bloodsuckers....:facepalm:

 

[Philster]

Re: Let's see if I understand how North America works lately.

Oh brother. I think someone was weaned on a McPickle ....
Gee, thanks "Tips"....

This has been discussed several times in here....

Including, from 2010 :




In this instance, I think most people are able to realise that this OP was a C&P of something e-mailed to me, and meant to amuse, not generate discussion....:facepalm:

Oh... We shall not generate discussion in Dockside Chat. Roger that.