It is the event that spawned the Stella Awards. You have probably heard of them. This is the common email thread that has been going around for years about the nation’s most ridiculous victorious lawsuits. One big problem with it is that most of these legal cases are completely fictitious and never happened – check out the Snopes website if you do not believe me. However, the event that led to the Stella awards, involving Stella herself, is very real. It is the case that became the figurehead for ridiculous legal claims. But was it really as ridiculous as it has been made out to be? Did the jury just park their brains outside prior to entering deliberations? Maybe there was more to it than email forward references made years later have let on.

The Stella in this case is Stella Liebeck – the woman who visited the world’s largest restaurant chain in 1994 and spilled coffee on her lap in an Albuquerque drive thru. It is not an outlandish event. All coffee drinkers have spilled the drink on themselves at one time or another – it is unavoidable to go a lifetime without having an accident. What was significant about this was that Stella would receive third degree burns from the incident and eventually be awarded over $600,000 in the eventual lawsuit.

Public opinion did not fall on her side. This would become the poster child for the need for tort reform in the American law system. The opinion was this: It was ridiculous that the courts could be so stupid that they would award a woman over half a million dollars for an accident that she herself committed. Besides, coffee is supposed to be consumed hot! Nobody likes cold coffee! However, those views are based more on a simplified version of events. If we look at the details, does that point of view hold up?

With Ms. Liebeck facing more than fifteen years of attacks (an a notorious award named after her), let us offer these facts in her defense and see if the reader still holds the same preconceived notions:

* Liebeck received third degree burns to entire groin era. She spent eight days in the hospital and underwent multiple skin grafts. She lost 20% of her body weight and would undergo treatment for over two years. All doctors who worked on her agreed that significant damage was done.

* The restaurant chain received over 700 complaints about injuries resulting from their coffee products. Their coffee was served at around 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientific studies have shown this can cause significant irreparable burns in less than 2 seconds upon contact.

* Liebeck initially asked the restaurant for just over $10,000 – enough to pay medical bills. The company countered with $800 (and probably some coupons). Upon hearing arguments, a mediator suggested a $250,000 settlement. The $600,000 verdict was a result of the restaurant fighting every suggestion up to that point.

These facts may not be enough to sway a preconceived notion, but if viewed through an open mind I do think they make the case much less two dimensional that it appeared in news snippets and late night talk show jokes.

Author Bio: Informative Sites:
McD\’s Coffee
Gallins Coffee
Liebeck Lawsuit

Category: Legal
Keywords: Coffee, lawsuits, legal