Deja-Brew: Starbucks Handed $50 Million Verdict After Hot Drink Spill Leaves Injures Delivery Driver – CoffeeTalk

A California jury has ordered Starbucks to pay $50 million in damages to a delivery driver who was severely burned by an improperly secured lid on hot beverages. Michael Garcia was picking up drinks at a drive-through in Los Angeles when hot drinks spilled onto his lap. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, accused Starbucks of breaching its duty of care by failing to secure the lid. Garcia’s damages included physical pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation, inconvenience, grief, disfigurement, physical impairment, anxiety, and emotional distress. Starbucks plans to appeal the verdict. The company spokesperson said it sympathizes with Garcia but disagrees with the jury’s decision that Starbucks was at fault for the incident and believes the damages awarded to be excessive. The lawsuit is reminiscent of a 1994 lawsuit against McDonald’s in which a woman spilled hot coffee on her lap and suffered third-degree burns. The plaintiff in that case, Stella Liebeck, was originally awarded nearly $3 million.

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