Is American law insane?

[fretmeister]

Don't forget in the USA juries set the initial awards. Also the US allows punitive (punishment) damages too. Almost all other common law countries set damages to try and return the victim to pre event condition, the US punitive system allows the victim to profit from it.

[FBM]

It's a borked as its health care "system" was until recently. Or as borked as our server was all day. Same-same. Fucked up as a football bat.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

So, this was her first encounter with hot liquids? She needed ANOTHER warning that hot stuff is hot? Fuck her.

[Bella Fortuna]

That case (the McDonald's one) is very old - 18 years ago - and the reason why we have these things now:

[Gawdzilla Sama]

"Of course it's hot!" Dumbass check complete.

[DaveD]

It's not just American law that's nuts.

[Blind groper]

That case (the McDonald's one) is very old - 18 years ago - and the reason why we have these things now:

Actually, Bella, the MacDonalds case involved a cup with a warning on it also. The court ruled that the writing was too small!

But, really. Someone buys a cup of coffee and does not realise that it might be hot??? The law should recognise a requirement for at least a little bit of common sense on the part of people who take out law suits.

[amused]

The real crime is that McDonald's coffee is shite, and they make it that hot so that you are miles away before it cools down enough to drink and you realize that it's shite.

[DaveD]

The thermonuclear apple pies are worse.

[Warren Dew]

The real crime is that McDonald's coffee is shite, and they make it that hot so that you are miles away before it cools down enough to drink and you realize that it's shite.

Before the lawsuit occurred and they reduced the temperature of the stuff, I heard a lot of coffee drinkers say it was surprisingly great.

Personally I find that all coffee tastes terrible. Some of it smells really nice, though.

[Bella Fortuna]

The thermonuclear apple pies are worse.

Amen, brother.

[Bella Fortuna]

That case (the McDonald's one) is very old - 18 years ago - and the reason why we have these things now:

Actually, Bella, the MacDonalds case involved a cup with a warning on it also. The court ruled that the writing was too small!

But, really. Someone buys a cup of coffee and does not realise that it might be hot??? The law should recognise a requirement for at least a little bit of common sense on the part of people who take out law suits.

Ah, OK.

Still:

[Warren Dew]

The thermonuclear apple pies are worse.

They were delicious when I was a kid, but back then they were deep fried instead of baked or microwaves or whatever it is they do now.

[mistermack]

I've got some sympathy with the ameriican court on this one.
McDonalds sell millions of cups of coffee. They KNOW that boiling hot coffee is dangerous, and that it gets spilled. It's something they encounter every hour of every day. So they should have a system to ensure the coffee isn't dangerously hot.
It's not rocket science.

Three million is a lot, but fuck em, they put profit before safety, so they should pay up.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I've got some sympathy with the ameriican court on this one.
McDonalds sell millions of cups of coffee. They KNOW that boiling hot coffee is dangerous, and that it gets spilled. It's something they encounter every hour of every day. So they should have a system to ensure the coffee isn't dangerously hot.
It's not rocket science.

Three million is a lot, but fuck em, they put profit before safety, so they should pay up.

"This coffee not to be taken vaginally." An obvious and stupid oversight on their part.