In the real world - where natural consequences rule - individual responsability for their own actions is all that matters. Do what you will to educate, inform, cajole, protect people. When someone dumps hot coffee on their groin, walks away from the road in the outback, goes out in the winter without a coat etc. The natural consequences follow. The individual with the coffee in their lap will be burned. No amount of lawyering will change that and no amount of corporate liability evasion or responsibility will prevent it. If you do it at home, with the thermos you filled from your home while drinking it in your car, or with the boiling water on your alcohol stove whilst backpacking. The natural consequence of pouring boiling water on your groin will be burns. Coffee is made with boiling water - such is life. BTW, if you are the first customer in line at Duncan Donuts after a fresh pot brews that coffee will be just as hot as McD's. It is only after it sits on the burner for a while going stale that there develops a difference. Coffee made in both establishments is made with boiling 212 degree F water. If you walk away from your car in a desert and carry no water the natural consequence will be dehydration and death. No amount of lawyering after the fact will change that and no amount of "corporate responsibility" will prevent that. Short of removing the liberty to enter the hazardous environment there is no way for society to prevent such events. Only the individual personally involved has that ability.

About the Bloke in the outback, Who failed to educate him? The travel agency? The Aussie Govt? The car rental agency? His parents? His high-school teacher? His kindergarden teacher? What was he supposed to have been taught? Assess your situation before making major decisions? Dont leave the water behind? Hot dry places are hot and dry? If you drive 1/2 hour out you will have to walk 2 days back? Which of these lessons was the lesson that he didn't get taught and whose responsibility was it to teach him?

He was the bloke on the scene. His were the natural (unavoidable) consequences. His was the ultimate "effecitve" responsability. All the rest is lawyering and BS IMNSHO

These things become somewhat clearer when we look at true cases of insanity such as a fellow who believes that he can fly jumping off a building - not to commit suicide but truely convinced that he can fly. People correctly conclude that the man was mad and that tho sad the event lies with him.