In the United States, there seems to be a perception that "people can sue for anything," and as a result we need tort reform. While there are certainly frivolous and unmerited lawsuits, the right to bring a lawsuit for injury is an important one.
A quick Google search for weird or frivolous lawsuits gives interesting, sometimes head-scratching results. However, perhaps no lawsuit is more famous or ridiculed than the one about a woman who sued McDonald's because the coffee was too hot. It has spawned scorn and comments such as, "What did she expect? It's coffee."
BUT, what do we really know about this case and what can we learn from it?
Read the following articles:
- McDonald's Hot Coffee Lawsuit and Beyond: The Tort "Reform" Myth Machine
- McDonalds Case Facts
- Coffee-scalding Prevention is Worth Pounds of Curing Lawsuits(You will need your BC library card # and password for this article.)
- Is Lawsuit Reform Good for Consumers?(You will need your BC library card # and password for this article.)
- How Tort Reform Work