Those who have been around the block a few times may remember the infamous McDonald's coffee case. In 1992, a 79-year-old woman sued McDonalds after they refused to cover medical expenses for burns resulting from extremely hot coffee from one of their drive-thrus spilled into her lap.
At the time, many considered her lawsuit frivolous and bemoaned the jury's awarding of $2.7 million in damages despite the victim suffering third-degree burns over 16% of her body. A judge later reduced the award and the case was settled for under $640,000.
Deja vu is happening all over again as on March 14, 2025, a Los Angeles County jury awarded a delivery driver $50 million in damages from Starbucks for a similar type of beverage spill. The injuries are as horrific as those in the McDonald's case. Whether the damages will also be reduced is yet to be determined. Starbucks announced its intent to appeal.
The Problem With Medicine Balls
In February 2020, 25-year-old Michael Garcia was working as a delivery driver for Postmates. At a Starbucks drive-thru in Los Angeles, he ordered three venti Medicine Balls. Not yet an official item on Starbucks' menu at the time, a Medicine Ball is made up of honey, Peach Tranquility tea, Jade Citrus Mint green tea, steamed lemonade, and hot water. Some claim it to be effective at warding off both colds and the flu.
Video footage taken from the Starbucks location shows an employee gathering Garcia's order before placing the drinks into a cardboard drink carrier. The employee hands the tray to Garcia, who has it for a second or two before his face contorts, and his car jumps out of view.
Garcia stopped shortly after and was later transported to an emergency room to receive initial treatment for his injuries. In the lawsuit, Garcia claims that the worker failed to press one of the Medicine Ball cups firmly enough down into the cardboard tray, allowing it to fall out and spill onto his lap.
Garcia's injuries were serious. His genitals were severely burned, suffering discoloration, disfigurement, and a loss of girth and length. Even after two skin grafts, the lawsuit claims that Garcia is unable to use his genitals to participate in or enjoy sexual activity. His attorneys sought $120 million in damages.
Deliberations as a Sprint, Not a Marathon
The suit claimed that Starbucks was guilty of negligence in serving Garcia the drinks and thus was responsible for his injuries. Garcia demanded relief for anxiety, disfigurement, grief, humiliation, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, mental suffering, physical impairment, and physical pain.
It took the jury only 40 minutes to agree that Starbucks was liable for Garcia's suffering. Determining the amount for damages took a little longer — two hours — before they settled on $50 million, plus additional attorneys' fees that could bring it closer to $60 million.
Garcia's lawyers said that Starbucks had offered $3 million to settle before the trial and $30 million after the trial with the caveat that it would be kept confidential. Garcia chose not to accept either offer.
He may have to wait a while longer to receive his relief. While offering sympathy for his suffering, Starbucks disagreed with both their liability and the amount of the reward. They announced their intent to appeal the verdict and the damages they classified as "excessive." If a new jury decides against them again, Starbucks executives may have to see if a Medicine Ball helps upset stomachs as well.
Related Resources
- Is Suing a Restaurant Your Best Option? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Getting Paid: Collecting on a Judgment or Jury Award (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- Negligence in Injury Law (FindLaw's Accidents and Injuries Legal Guide)
