Hot Coffee (film)
| Hot Coffee | |
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| Directed by | Susan Saladoff |
| Produced by | Susan Saladoff Carly Hugo Alan Oxman; co-producer: Rebecca Saladoff |
| Music by | Michael Mollura Joel Goodman |
| Cinematography | Martina Radwan |
| Edited by | Cindy Lee |
| Distributed by | HBO |
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Release date
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Running time
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86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Hot Coffee is a 2011 documentary film that analyzes and discusses the impact of tort reform on the United States judicial system. It is directed by Susan Saladoff, who has practiced as a medical malpractice attorney for at least 26 years. The film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2011, and later aired on HBO on June 27, 2011, as a part of HBO films documentary summer series. The title is derived from the Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants lawsuit, in which the plaintiff Liebeck was severely burned after spilling into her lap hot coffee purchased from a McDonald's.
Hot Coffee discusses several cases and relates each to tort reform in the United States:
This segment features interviews with Liebeck's family and focuses on their perspective of the trial. This included news clips, comments from celebrities and politicians about the case, as well as myths and misconceptions, including how many people thought she was driving when the incident occurred and thought that she suffered only minor superficial burns, while in truth she suffered severe burns and needed extensive surgeries. The concept of accountability is also discussed. The film also discussed in great depth how Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants is often used and misused to describe a frivolous lawsuit and referenced in conjunction with tort reform efforts. It argued that corporations have spent millions distorting certain tort cases in order to promote tort reform.
Senator Al Franken features prominently in this segment. He worked closely with Jones to get her case heard in court and proposed legislative changes to mandatory arbitration clauses. Subsequent to the film's release, Jones succeeded in trying her civil case before a federal court in Houston. However, she was unsuccessful in convincing a jury that she had been raped or that KBR had engaged in fraud when inducing her to sign her employment contract. There was a long list of inconsistencies and contradictions exposed in her story during the trial.
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