Starbucks forced to pay $50M to delivery driver severely scalded with spilled hot cup of tea LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles jury ordered $50 million in damages against Starbucks to be paid to delivery driver Michael Garcia for suffering second-degree burns when a cup of hot tea was spilled on him at Los Angeles-area Starbucks store in 2020. Garcia was delivering for a food delivery service when he alleged the cup of tea had been left unattended and caused the gruesome injuries he suffered. Those injuries, he alleged, consisted of nerve damage that have affected his health and well-being for many years to come.
The jury’s finding has brought into question consumer protection and corporate accountability. Garcia’s attorneys said the ruling is huge in making large corporations accountable for placing customers at risk, especially in the way it has handled the sale of hot drinks. “The reason we know that it was negligent is because Starbucks knew the danger of their product when it was delivering it to consumers and failed to take reasonable steps to make their product safe when it was delivering it,” the attorneys said. “The negligence of Starbucks led to (Garcia) suffering permanent and life-altering injuries.”
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Starbucks has denied fault for the incident and has announced it would cross-appeal the judgment as declaring the $50 million damages as unreasonable and unfair. “When it comes to delivering hot drinks, Starbucks goes to great lengths and takes precautions to ensure our products are properly packed and delivered to customers safely,” the coffee giant said in the statement. The lawsuit is about consumer protection and the accountability of corporations for averting product accidents. Despite the fact that it has signaled it would appeal the ruling, the case revolves around potential financial exposure for not protecting customers, especially corporations offering hot and potentially risky merchandise.
Source: Voice of America
