Starbucks ordered to pay $50 million after hot tea spilled onto man's lap, causing 3rd degree burns
Starbucks has been ordered to pay $50 million to a man who was severely burned after a hot drink fell on his lap.
What we know:
According to an attorney with Trial Lawyers for Justice, an unsecured 180+ degrees hot tea fell onto the lap of Michael Garcia, who was working as a Postmates driver, at a Starbucks drive-through in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2020.
Trial attorney Nick Rowley said the cup was unsecured and not properly placed into the container.
"The barista working the window negligently failed to properly "seat" or "secure" one of the hot drinks into a drink carrier. Within 1.4 seconds of Michael taking possession of the tray, the unsecured cup fell directly into his lap, the lid popped off," a statement read.
The scalding hot tea caused third-degree burns to his genitals, groin, and inner thighs.
Experts testified that Garcia could have done nothing to avoid his injuries. The jury found Starbucks 100% responsible for his injuries.
What they're saying:
"Starbucks continues to prioritize profit over the health and safety of its customers. Despite being repeatedly warned about the dangers of improperly secured drinks, they chose to ignore safety," Rowley stated.
"Michael Garcia’s life has been forever changed. No amount of money can undo the permanent catastrophic harm he has suffered, but this jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility."
Garcia has had two skin grafts performed on his genitals and has been left with permanent disfigurement and discoloration. His attorney also said Garcia now suffers from severe PTSD following the incident.
Dig deeper:
Starbucks’ pre-trial offer on the case was $3 million. Starbucks later offered $30 million to settle. Garcia's attorney said he agreed, but under the condition that Starbucks would apologize, change policies, and issue a memo to all Starbucks restaurants to double-check hot drinks before handing them to customers.
Starbucks declined to those terms, resulting in a jury making the decision.
The other side:
Following the verdict, Starbucks issued the following statement, "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. We plan to appeal. We have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks."