Starbucks to award $50 million (around ₹Rs 434.74 crore) A delivery driver in California suffered severe burns while driving on one of the company’s cargoes.
When the coffee chain’s hot drink was sprinkled on a California exit because of improper lids of the container, the man spilled on a California exit because of improper lids, according to court records cited by the Associated Press.
Delivery driver Michael Garcia ordered the order from Starbucks Export in Los Angeles on February 8, 2020. But the hot drink spilled on his legs after the barista failed to properly secure the container.
Garcia suffered a third degree burn injury due to the incident. He also received skin grafts and other procedures on his genitals.
what happened?
Garcia’s negligence lawsuit blamed Starbucks for his injury, saying an employee did not secure the hot tea from hot tea firmly in the takeaway pallet.
A jury in Los Angeles County maintained Garcia’s case and ordered Starbucks to pay him $50 million.
“This jury verdict is a crucial step in getting Starbucks to blatantly ignore client safety and not take responsibility,” AP quoted Nick Rowley, one of Garcia’s attorneys, as stated in a statement.
A CNN report further cited another attorney, Michael Parker, who said Garcia had handed in three glasses of wine in a carrier. However, one of them has not been placed safely, causing it to fall and overflow the delivery driver’s knee.
CNN reported that Garcia compensated for damages, including physical pain, mental pain, loss of life enjoyment and other inconveniences.
Starbucks releases a statement
Starbucks stated in a statement that it may appeal, saying it disagrees with the jury’s decision.
“We sympathize with Mr. Garcia, but we disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for the incident and believed that compensation was too much. CNN quoted a company spokesperson as saying that we have been committed to the highest safety standards in stores, including handling hot drinks.
