Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Starbucks Ordered to Pay $50 Million After Delivery Driver Suffers Severe Burns

Michael Garcia was awarded damages after a jury found Starbucks negligent in a 2020 drive-thru incident involving a hot tea spill.

FILE - This is the Starbucks sign on Black Friday shoppers line at a Starbucks kiosk in the Walden Galleria in Buffalo, NY., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
A sign hangs outside of a Starbucks coffeeshop on February 25, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
A Starbucks sign is show on one of the companies stores in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 19, 2018.

Overview

  • Michael Garcia, a Postmates delivery driver, suffered third-degree burns and permanent disfigurement after a hot tea spilled on his lap at a Los Angeles Starbucks drive-thru in 2020.
  • The jury determined that a Starbucks barista failed to properly secure the lid on one of three venti-sized teas in a drink carrier, leading to the spill within seconds of the handoff.
  • Garcia underwent multiple skin grafts and continues to experience lasting physical pain, sexual dysfunction, and psychological trauma as a result of the injuries.
  • Starbucks plans to appeal the $50 million verdict, arguing that the damages are excessive and that the company was not at fault for the incident.
  • The case drew comparisons to other high-profile lawsuits involving burns from hot beverages, including the 1994 McDonald's coffee case, highlighting ongoing safety concerns in the food service industry.