A delivery driver has been awarded $50m (£38.6m) in a lawsuit after he suffered severe burns when a Starbucks drink spilled onto his lap at a California fast food outlet, court documents reveal.
A Los Angeles County jury on Friday ruled in favor of Michael Garcia, who underwent skin grafts and other medical procedures on his genital area after he spilled a glass of tea on himself on Feb. 8, 2020, immediately after receiving an order.
His lawyers say he suffered permanent and life-changing injuries.
Mr. Garcia's negligence lawsuit held Starbucks responsible for his injuries because an employee failed to securely place scalding hot tea on a takeout tray.
One of Mr. Garcia's lawyers, Nick Rowley, said: “This jury verdict is an important step toward holding Starbucks accountable for its blatant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility.”
Starbucks expressed sympathy for Mr. Garcia but plans to appeal.
“We disagree with the jury's finding of guilt in this incident and believe the damages awarded are excessive,” the Seattle-based coffee company said in a press release, adding that it “commits to the highest safety standards” when handling hot beverages.
American restaurants have faced lawsuits over burns to customers before.
In one famous case from the 1990s, a jury in New Mexico awarded a woman almost $3 million (£2.3 million) in damages for burns she sustained when trying to open the lid of a coffee cup in a McDonald's restaurant.
The judge later reduced the award and the case was eventually settled for an undisclosed sum of less than $600,000 (£463,000).
Sometimes juries have sided with the restaurants, as in another 1990s case in which a child in Iowa spilled a McDonald's coffee cup on himself.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
