Most people won't recognize the name Stella Liebeck but say the words "cause hot coffee" and recognition will be immediate. The story is so well known that it has almost passed into the realm of urban legend or myth. And in broad terms it has become a bit of a myth. An elderly woman walks through a McDonald's drive through, orders a cup of coffee, and then promptly and recklessly spills the drink on her legs. So, looking for an easy payday, he sues the restaurant for millions of dollars, ultimately walking away a millionaire with no more damage than a ruined pair of sweatpants. The story has been considered a parable of what is wrong with America today. Well-worn history can be thought of as a totem for any number of issues. People don't want to work for money anymore, look at that hot coffee lady. People don't want to take responsibility for their actions, look at that hot coffee lady. People are idiots, look at that coffee lady. As it turns out, the “coffee lady” is a good story to examine the world we live in today, but not for the reasons you might expect. The facts of the case are now more readily available thanks to the Internet. When the story first broke in 1992, the Internet was still in its infancy. Most of the media coverage at the time came from print and television, and most of it was by no means comprehensive. The initial jury prize of nearly $3 million was sensational and made headlines around the world. Now, with the advent of the Internet in its modern form, facts are emerging about what really happened. It turns out that Mrs. Liebeck was actually injured much more seriously than many believe and received much less money than she actually was... middle of the paper... the children's percentage is on all the packages. Most medicines list a whole host of possible side effects of the drug. Yet even today, coffee cups fail to mention the consequences of spilled coffee. Maybe one day McDonald's and other fast food chains will print on their cups “May cause life-threatening burns. Handle with care.” Two decades have passed since that fateful day when Stella Liebeck's life was turned upside down in the parking lot of a McDonald's. His story has since served as a punchline for late-night comedians, the basis for an episode of Sienfield and the lyrics to a Toby Keith song. He died in 2004 without ever fully recovering from his injuries. Unfortunately for his family, his story will likely be misquoted and misconstrued to make some rather specious arguments about personal responsibility and other societal ills..