Starbucks faces a high-profile legal challenge after a California driver was awarded $50 million in a hot tea spill lawsuit.
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Ned Snowman
A California delivery driver has been awarded $50 million in damages following a life-altering injury he sustained at a Starbucks drive-through in 2020.
According to court records, Michael Garcia suffered extensive burns to his genitals when a venti-sized hot tea allegedly tipped over due to improper handling by Starbucks staff.
Serious injuries spark $50M lawsuit against Starbucks
Garcia’s legal team argued that the tea was scalding-hot and not wedged securely in a takeout tray, causing it to spill just moments after he collected it from the drive-through window. The burns required skin grafts and multiple medical procedures, and his lawyers maintain that he will face permanent disfigurement as a result. “This verdict is a crucial step in holding Starbucks accountable for putting customers at risk,” said Garcia’s attorney, Nick Rowley.
Starbucks to appeal ‘excessive’ $50M verdict in Tea spill case
The Seattle-based coffee giant expressed sympathy for Garcia but called the jury’s decision ‘excessive’ and insists it is committed to maintaining high safety standards. “We disagree with the jury’s conclusion that we were at fault,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the company plans to challenge the verdict in court.
This high-profile case draws parallels to the 1990s McDonald’s coffee lawsuit, in which a New Mexico jury awarded a woman nearly $3 million after she was badly burned while removing a coffee cup lid. Although her award was later reduced, the case remains a benchmark for hot beverage litigation. Juries, however, have not always ruled in favour of plaintiffs: in another 1990s incident, a child who spilt coffee on himself at a McDonald’s in Iowa did not receive damages.
Garcia’s legal team says the $50 million judgement underscores the seriousness of serving extremely hot drinks without adequate safety measures—a concern that continues to make headlines across the United States.
