Junk Food (1960); Senate Bean Soup (1943); Chicken a la King (1911)

[Baker, John]

        You know, I hear this anti-lawyer stuff all the time, and I have to say that it seems unfair to me.  It's like saying that all linguists share the political views of Noam Chomsky.

        Although there are plenty of frivolous lawsuits out there (and I would include the junk food case among them, at least based on the media reports I've seen), I don't think the hot coffee case is one of them.  McDonald's served scalding hot coffee to drive-through customers in a flimsy cup, knowing that children and the elderly are particularly affected by heat.  Predictably, an elderly woman spilled coffee on herself.  She was hospitalized for eight days, had to have skin grafts, and was disabled for two years.  Critics of the case make it sound like everyone gets hot liquids spilled on them occasionally and shouldn't make a big deal about it.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: James A. Landau [mailto:JJJRLandau at AOL.COM]
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 12:35 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Junk Food (1960); Senate Bean Soup (1943); Chicken a la
King (1911)


In a message dated 11/26/02 7:13:17 AM Eastern Standard Time, Bapopik at AOL.COM
writes:


>     The term [ "Junk food"]is very important in these current times,  with
lawyers
suing
>  McDonald's.  Why McDonald's and not Dunkin' Donuts or the Pillsbury
doughboy
>  (talk about bad role models), I'll never know.

Don't you remember the old saying "The bigger they are, the harder they
fall"?  That has become the motto of the tart lawyer.  The bigger the
company, the easier it is for the tart lawyer to portray it as a heartless
inhuman mercenary monster and his client as David versus Goliath.  Also, the
larger the corporation, the deeper the pockets.

Are you aware that MacDonalds lost a sizable court judgment to someone who
got burned by hot coffee at a Golden Arches?  Tart lawyers have been
salivating ever since.

Why MacDonald's and not Plaid Donuts?  Because MacDonald's is not only bigger
and presumably wealthier, it is much more visible than Duncan Donuts.  As for
Pillsbury, it is associated in the public mind with flour, not fast food.

     - Jim Landau