Coffee giant Starbucks has been ordered to pay $50 million in damages to a delivery driver who was burned by hot tea that wasn’t secured properly and spilled into his lap.
On March 13, a Los Angeles jury gave plaintiff Michael Garcia the multi-million-dollar award after he sued Starbucks for “past and future damages” after suffering permanent disfigurement to his penis, according to a press release from his attorneys.
Garcia’s legal team said that experts testified that the delivery driver could have done nothing to avoid his injuries and ultimately, the jury found Starbucks responsible.
Starbucks says that it plans on fighting the verdict.
“We sympathize with Mr. Garcia, but we disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive,” Jaci Anderson, Starbucks’ director of corporate communications tells TODAY.com. “We plan to appeal. We have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks.”
According to the release, on Feb. 8, 2020, Garcia was working for Postmates when he entered a Los Angeles Starbucks drive-thru and ordered three venti “medicine balls,” the unofficial name for the coffee chain’s Honey Citrus Mint Tea which includes steamed lemonade, hot water and other ingredients.
In security video viewed by TODAY.com, a barista can be seen placing three beverages into a drink carrier at a Starbucks pickup window before handing it to Garcia. Soon after taking hold of the order, one cup fell and spilled hot tea directly into the customer’s lap, who can be seen in distress before accelerating his car out of frame.
Garcia was taken by paramedics to the emergency room after the incident and was treated for third degree burns to his penis, groin and inner thighs. The release also details Garcia’s recovery process from his injuries, which has included two skin grafts.
“Michael Garcia’s life has been forever changed,” Garcia’s attorney, Nick Rowley, said. He called the verdict a “critical step” in holding Starbucks accountable.
This is far from the first legal battle over injuries caused by hot drinks to make headlines.
Back in 1992, a New Mexico jury awarded 81-year-old Stella Liebeck $2.7 million in punitive damages after she was burned by hot coffee purchased from McDonald’s.
At the time, the chain kept its coffee at 180 to 190 degrees, and Liebeck spilled the beverage into her lap while trying to pry the lid off, suffering third-degree burns. Later, a judge reduced Liebeck’s award and the case was settled for under $600,000.
