Starbucks Hit with $50 Million Verdict After Customer Suffers Severe Tea Burns
A California jury has awarded a customer $50 million in damages after suffering severe burns from a spilled hot tea at a Starbucks drive-thru in Los Angeles.
Starbucks storefront in India
The incident occurred on February 8, 2020, when Michael Garcia received a takeout tray containing multiple hot drinks. One drink was improperly secured, causing it to spill and severely burn Garcia's body, including his genitals. The injuries required multiple skin grafts and resulted in permanent disfigurement.
Garcia's legal team successfully argued that Starbucks failed to properly secure the drinks before serving them to customers, demonstrating negligence and breach of duty of care.
Starbucks disputed the claims, contending that:
- Customers are responsible for careful handling of hot beverages
- Garcia's own negligence contributed to the spill
- The company follows strict safety protocols
The $50 million verdict was influenced by several key factors:
- Severity of permanent physical injuries
- Starbucks' rejected settlement offers of $3 million and $30 million
- Evidence of company negligence in securing drinks
- Parallels to the historic McDonald's hot coffee case
Starbucks plans to appeal the verdict, calling the damages "excessive." The case could establish new safety protocols for drive-thru services nationwide and emphasizes the balance between customer caution and corporate responsibility in product safety.
The appeal process may extend for months or years, but the ruling already stands as a significant precedent in consumer safety litigation.
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