Starbucks has been ordered to pay $50 million to a man who suffered severe burns and permanent damage after a cup of boiling tea spilled on him at a drive-through in California. The incident, which occurred in February 2020 at the Exposition Park location in Los Angeles, caused third-degree burns and nerve damage to the victim, Michael Garcia.
Although a jury found the multinational company negligent for failing to ensure customer safety, the company denied any responsibility, calling the verdict “excessive” and announcing its intention to appeal.
Garcia had just received a tray of drinks from the barista when one of the cups, not properly sealed, tipped over and fell into his lap as he lifted the tray.
The lawsuit claims that the barista failed to secure one of the containers in the tray, leading to the spill of the boiling liquid, causing severe injuries, including damage to his genital area.
The burns left Garcia with permanent scars, resulting from multiple surgeries, chronic pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Attorney Nicholas Rowley stated that his client’s life had been forever changed and that no amount of money could undo the damage he had suffered. He added that the verdict was a crucial step in holding Starbucks accountable for its disregard for customer protection and its refusal to take responsibility.
A spokesperson for the chain, in a statement, expressed sympathy for Garcia but contested the charges, stating that the company did not believe it was at fault. The spokesperson also mentioned that the company intended to appeal and had always adhered to the highest safety standards in its stores, including the handling of hot beverages.
Before the trial, Starbucks offered a settlement of $3 million to the injured party, later increasing it to $30 million to avoid the legal proceedings. However, Garcia rejected the offer, demanding official apologies, a revision of internal policies, and the implementation of a protocol to protect customers from hot beverages before they are handed over. Starbucks refused these conditions, leading the jury to grant the plaintiff the full amount requested.
This is not the first time the well-known brand has faced legal action for similar incidents. In 2018, a young man from Northern California suffered severe burns after hot tea was spilled on him while he was picking up an order. A year earlier, a woman from Denver sued Starbucks over a similar incident that caused her significant injuries and the death of her dog.
However, the precedent for such lawsuits was set in 1994 by the historic “McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit” known as Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants. The case, filed in 1992, gained widespread attention and was decided in 1994. It involved Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman who suffered severe burns after spilling a cup of McDonald’s coffee on her lap, while driving and holding the cup between her legs.
This case became a landmark in discussions about product liability and tort reform and facilitated all following lawsuits involving spilled hot liquids. Stella Liebeck was initially awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages and $160,000 in compensatory damages by the jury. The judge later reduced the punitive damages to $480,000, bringing the total to $640,000. The case was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, which is believed to be less than the reduced award.
Many people saw the case as an example of the excessive or frivolous litigation that came to define America’s increasingly litigious culture and its inability to take responsibility for personal actions. It also became a “poster child” for what some viewed as a need for tort reform.
