Starbucks hot tea burns man
A Los Angeles County jury has ruled in favor of Michael Garcia on Friday (March 14) after a man was burned by hot tea after he spilled a Venti-sized cup of tea on his face after picking it up. Garcia later underwent a skin graft on his genitals, among other treatments. His lawyers say the incident has left Garcia with permanent and life-changing injuries. The Associated Press reported that on February 8, 2020, while picking up a Venti-sized cup of tea at a drive-thru, the cup fell on delivery driver Michael Garcia. He suffered severe burns and required several surgeries, including a skin graft on his genitals.
Starbucks hot tea burns man
Garcia’s lawyers sued Starbucks for negligence. They claimed that a Starbucks employee’s negligence caused the accident by not placing the hot tea cup on a tray properly. Garcia’s lawyer, Nick Rowley, said in a statement, “This ruling demonstrates Starbucks’ egregious disregard for customer safety and its dereliction of duty.”
Starbucks expressed sympathy for Garcia in a statement. But it also said it would appeal the ruling. It claimed, “We believe the amount of compensation is excessive.”
It should be noted that US restaurants have been sued before for burns caused by hot drinks. In the 1990s, a woman won nearly $3 million in damages in a similar lawsuit against McDonald’s. However, a judge later reduced the compensation.
