Hot Coffee
You don’t have to be a coffee aficionado or a McDonald’s regular to recall the case of Stella Liebeck and her scalding cup of McDonald’s coffee. Now an 18 year-old suit, the case of Liebeck’s coffee made not only national news, but was used as material for comedians, talk-show hosts, and a steady story-line for news reporters.
Well now, that case is back – in the form of an independent film to be premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
The film, which is in documentary form, will explore the case and its ensuing media frenzy, in order to answer tough questions like, “Who profited most from this case?” “Why did a personal injury case like this garner so much media attention?” and “How was the case used (and/or misused) for propaganda purposes?”
Additionally, director Susan Saladoff follows subjects in need of civil justice who have been unable to access the court system, in contrast to the widely-publicized coffee case.
The film’s title, “Hot Coffee,” is an easy way to remember one of the nation’s most famous (or infamous?) personal injury suit. See it with a lukewarm cup’o joe.