A Los Angeles County jury ordered Starbucks to pay $50 million in damages to a customer who suffered severe burns after a scalding hot tea spilled in his lap at a drive-thru location, court records show. The decision, delivered Friday after less than an hour of deliberation, marks one of the largest personal injury verdicts against the Seattle-based coffee chain.
The plaintiff, Michael Garcia, was working as a Postmates delivery driver on February 8, 2020, when he visited a Starbucks drive-thru in Los Angeles to pick up three venti-sized "medicine ball" teas. The drink, an off-menu combination of tea, lemonade, and honey, was placed in a cardboard carrier by a Starbucks employee.
Within moments of receiving the tray, one of the tea cups became dislodged, spilling its contents into Garcia's lap. Surveillance footage presented in court showed the lid on one of the drinks was not properly secured, leaving it tilted in the carrier as it was handed to Garcia.
Garcia suffered third-degree burns to his groin, penis, and thighs. According to his attorney, Nick Rowley, the injuries required two skin graft surgeries at Grossman Burn Center. Rowley stated the burns left Garcia permanently disfigured and in chronic pain. "One of the most pleasurable experiences in life has been changed to pain," Rowley said in a statement, adding, "This will affect every facet of his life."
Rowley initially sought $120 million in damages but emphasized after the verdict, "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."
Starbucks intends to appeal the decision. Jaci Anderson, Starbucks Director of Corporate Communications, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times, "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 have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks."
Prior to trial, Starbucks offered to settle the case for $3 million under conditions that included an apology, changes in store policy, and a memo to employees reinforcing drink safety protocols, but the company declined to meet Garcia's additional demands, according to Trial Lawyers for Justice.
The case echoes comparisons to the widely publicized 1992 McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit involving Stella Liebeck, who suffered third-degree burns after coffee spilled in her lap. Liebeck was initially awarded $2.7 million in punitive damages, though the amount was later reduced, and the case settled out of court.
