Man compensated with S$66.5 million after hot Starbucks tea spilt on his lap
A man in the United States (US) has been awarded a staggering US$50 million (S$66.5 million) in damages after scalding hot tea from Starbucks spilt onto his lap, causing severe burns.
A jury in California ruled in favour of 27-year-old Michael Garcia on Friday (14 March), compensating him for the injuries he sustained in the 2020 incident.
According to The New York Times (NYT), court records show that the Starbucks barista had allegedly failed to secure the cup in the drink carrier, leading to the spill.
Delivery rider suffers severe burns after tea spill
At the time of the incident, Mr Garcia was working for Postmates, a food delivery service, and had stopped at a Starbucks drive-through in Los Angeles to pick up three venti-sized hot teas.
While collecting the order, one of the drinks slipped from the cup holder and landed on his lap, causing the 25-year-old to thrash in pain.
Source: NBC News
The lawsuit alleged that the Starbucks employee had “negligently failed to properly” secure the cup, leading to the scalding hot liquid spilling onto Mr Garcia’s groin, inner thighs, and penis.
Surveillance footage from the store’s CCTV reportedly captured Mr Garcia thrashing in pain when he got burnt.
Following the incident, he was rushed to the emergency room and has since undergone multiple skin grafts and other medical procedures to treat the third-degree burns that he had sustained.
Source: NBC News
Starbucks denies liability
Mr Garcia’s lawyers argued that their client has suffered “disfigurement, pain, dysfunction, and psychological harm” in the five years since the accident.
Nick Rowley, one of his attorneys, stated that the verdict was a “critical step in holding Starbucks accountable” for failing to ensure customer safety.
The compensation package includes damages for physical pain, mental suffering, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and anxiety.
His legal team also expects the total payout to exceed US$60 million (S$79.8 million) after interest, legal fees, and other costs.
Despite the ruling, Starbucks has pushed back against the verdict.
Jaci Anderson, Starbucks’ Director of Corporate Communications, stated that the company believes the damages awarded were “excessive” and that they remain “committed to the highest safety standards” in their stores, including the handling of hot beverages.
Also read: Girl gets finger mangled by hand dryer at ION Orchard, awarded S$170,000 compensation
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Featured image adapted from Los Angeles Times for illustration purposes only and NBC News.
