Posted inLawsuits Settlements

Hot Coffee, Tort Reform & the Civil Justice System

Hot coffee
 I recently saw a documentary, Hot Coffee. It discusses the idea of tort reform and bogus lawsuits. When one thinks of frivolous lawsuits, the case of Liebeck v. McDonald’s comes to mind.  Stella Liebeck went to McDonald’s with her son.  She was the passenger. After purchasing her coffee in the drive-thru, her son parked the car.  Stella placed the coffee between her legs while she took off the lid.  The 180 degree coffee spilled on her cotton pants absorbing it through the skin. The result was severe 3rd degree burns. Look up pictures and you will be shocked at the damage. The trial uncovered hundreds of past cases and proved that there was no reason to hold the coffee at that temperature. The jury decided to give Ms. Liebeck a few minutes of McDonald’s national coffee sales for her pain & suffering. That figure amounted to roughly $3 million dollars. The verdict was then lowered substantially by the judge; a power passed by the state legislature.

2 minutes
Posted inSettlements

Man On The Lamb Turns Himself In

A lamb on the lamb

A career criminal John Thomas, turned himself in after being on the lamb for a month. He first caught the attention of Detective Nick Romano and Sergeant Craig Brier for suspicious activity in the parking lot of an auto-supply store in Jamaica Queens.  When the law enforcers approached Thomas in an attempt to question him he made a run for it.  As Romano and Brier chased Thomas he let off four shots, hitting Brier once in both legs.  After the massive manhunt spanning an entire month, the wounded 15-year veteran was relieved when John Thomas decided to turn himself in.  This uncharacteristic surrender comes as a welcome surprise to everyone, especially Brier’s mother who said she got goose bumps when she heard the news.  Now, Thomas faces charges of attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and assault.

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2 minutes
Posted inSettlements

Camden Man Slits Throats on PCP

Phencyclidine also known as PCP is a hallucinogenic drug that when smoked can cause violent outbursts and thrashing.  Oswaldo Rivera, from Camden, New Jersey has learned this the hard way...
2 minutes