POLS 1337 1st Edition Lecture #11 Court Systems in Texas Part IIPrevious: Court Systems in Texas Part ILawsuits in Texas and the United StatesThe United States is very infamous from abroad due to our high amount of lawsuits (compared to other countries)Filing a Lawsuit1. Complaint filed in court Fee is at least $227 in TX dist. Court2. Sheriff serves as defendant 30 days to file an answer3. Process of discoveryAttorneys take depositions of witnessesTrials can be very time consuming and expensiveAlternatives to trialsBinding arbitration: Retired judges make a decision. Contracts require you to seek resolution through 3rd party instead of the courtEx: Judge JudyMediation: Both parties meet with 3rd party and settlement each party is satisfied (compromise)Purpose of LawsuitsThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- To protect people from wrong doing/negligence- To seek money for damages- To honor contracts- Set legal precedent “stare decisis”- Prevent accidents from occurring (wet floor signs,caution/warning labels)Lawsuit AbuseTorts: someone who acts negligent and hurts another personTort reform: Changing the legal rules regarding compensation for damages- Tort reforms receive a lot of publicity in TX CourtsMc Donalds Coffee CaseLiebeck v. Mc Donalds- Coffee cup fell on elderly woman’s lap- Sued & won $100,000 - Mc Donalds charged $2.7 Million in damages- Compensatory damages: Easily calculated and quantified damages (medical bills, work salary, etc…)Reaction to Mc Donalds coffee caseReduced damages under $500,000This case epitomized lawsuit abuse in the U.S(New York Time Retro Report)- Woman was burned in drive thru with coffee as she removed the lid- Went to the hospital with 3rd degree burns (16% of her body)- Liebeck wanted Mc Donald to change their temp. out of a safety concern.- McDonalds did not take suggestion stating the customers want “hot coffee” - The Media caused the case to receive negative connotation, the dense telling of Liebeck’s intention for suing caused a sense of a less seriousness to the case. - Mc Donald’s Coffee decreased it’s temp. from 190-180 degrees to 180-170