Starbucks is set to award $50 million (around ₹434.74 crore) to a delivery driver in California after he suffered serious burn injuries at a drive-through of one of the company’s outlets.
According to court records cited by the Associated Press, the man suffered from serious burns when a hot beverage of the coffee chain spilled on his lap at an outlet in California due to improper sealing of the lid of the container.
Michael Garcia, the delivery driver, picked up an order from the Starbucks outlet in Los Angeles on February 8, 2020. However, the hot venti drink spilled on his lap after the barista failed to properly secure the container.
Garcia suffered third-degree burn injuries due to the incident. He also underwent skin grafts and other procedures on his genitals.
What happened?
Garcia’s negligence lawsuit blamed his injuries on Starbucks, saying that an employee didn’t wedge the scalding-hot tea firmly enough into a takeout tray.
A Los Angeles County jury upheld Garcia’s case and ordered Starbucks to pay $50 million to him.
“This jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility,” AP quoted Nick Rowley, one of Garcia’s attorneys, as saying in a statement.
A CNN report further quoted one other attorney, Michael Parker, who said that Garcia was handed three drinks in a carrier. However, one of them had not been placed securely, causing it to fall and spill on the delivery driver’s lap.
Garcia placed for damages including physical pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and inconvenience among others, said the CNN report quoting a recording of the verdict from Courtroom View Network.
Starbucks issues statement
Starbucks in a statement indicated that it may go for an appeal, saying that it did not agree with the jury’s decision.
“We sympathise 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,” a company spokesperson was quoted as saying by CNN.
