Hot Coffee - The Movie

Anyone struggling with the workers compensation process recognizes how our society now treats injured workers as second-class citizens. Since the 1960's, insurance companies and big business interest groups have pushed the many myths that have together turned workers compensation and other critical safety nets of our society into decisions that cause people to feel shame and draw the scorn of those who have not had the misfortune of needing to draw these benefits.

With this in mind, I encourage you to watch Hot Coffee, a documentary about the well-known incident of the woman burned by McDonalds’ coffee. Hot Coffee shows just how a story that should be about corporate greed can be turned on its head to blame the victim. You will be shocked to learn how corporate interests spend enormous amounts of money to influence public debate to the point where ordinary citizens no longer understand their own self-interest!

Susan Saladoff produced and directed this film as an article of faith and a labor of love. Years of hard work paid off when Hot Coffee was shown at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Shortly after that, HBO optioned the film. I had the honor of being invited to an early screening last year.

Be sure to watch this Monday at 9 pm (EST), June 27, the HBO premiere of Hot Coffee -- a documentary about the fictions and false alarms that threaten the civil justice system.