Starbucks was aware of the frequency of burn complaints but “refuses to undertake any efforts to minimize the occurrence of lids popping off cups.”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA, December 18, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A lawsuit filed Monday against Starbucks may leave the coffee giant crying over spilled tea.

A Las Vegas and Los Angeles lawyer, Sam Ryan Heidari, Esq., of Heidari Law Group, P.C., for the 22-year-old University of Southern California student, has alleged in a complaint that “scalding hot” tea from a Starbucks drive-thru in Los Angeles spilled onto his client in February 2022, leaving her with severe burns, permanent scarring, and emotional distress.

According to the lawsuit, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, (case # 23STCV28208) Starbucks’ employees “improperly” secured the lid to the student’s cup, failed to serve the tea in the appropriate cup, improperly transferred the hot tea beverage to the student, and negligently and recklessly served tea at dangerously high temperatures, causing it to open unexpectedly and pour hot liquid onto her when she tried to move it from her cupholder in her vehicle. “The employee’s negligence was a substantial factor in causing Plaintiff harm,” states Heidari in the complaint.

“Not only is Starbucks liable for the negligence of its employees, but Starbucks also needs to answer for their own conduct, like their training and supervision of employees, as well as the clearly inadequate and inappropriate choices made at a corporate level regarding serving temperatures and containers,” says Sam Ryan Heidari.

Heidari states "the coffee giant has gotten away with it for too long." The Civil Complaint alleges Starbucks acted with malice, and points to recent lawsuits across the country. “They’ve known for years,” he says. “They will be the first to tell you that they are aware of the dangers their products and decisions have caused.” The Complaint alleges that in a recent case, a Starbucks representative testified that Starbucks was aware of the frequency of complaints it received regarding claims that its lids were not secure and causing spills, including those resulting in severe burns. It goes on to state that, despite this knowledge and frequency, Starbucks “refuses to undertake any efforts to determine or minimize the occurrence of lids popping off cups.” Starbucks is alleged to have served the tea to the USC student at over 210 degrees F. By comparison, the now well-known “McDonald’s Coffee Case,” a 1994 case involving Plaintiff Stella Liebeck, involved a coffee spill burn over 20 degrees cooler than that of the tea in the Complaint filed against Starbucks on Monday, or 190 degrees F.

Ms. Liebeck was awarded $2.86 million in 1994, or a little over $6 million today, for the burns she suffered.

The Heidari Law Group is a personal injury law firm with offices in Los Angeles, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information visit www.heidarilawgroup.com or call 702-999-7777

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