Starbucks ordered to pay $50 million to delivery driver burned by hot drink

A jury on Friday awarded a delivery driver $50 million in damages after he suffered third-degree burns while picking up an improperly secured drink at a Starbucks drive-through in Los Angeles, the driver’s attorneys said.

A Starbucks barista had “negligently failed” to secure one of three Venti-size Medicine Ball hot teas in a drink carrier before handing the order to Michael Garcia, who was working for Postmates at the time, the firm representing him, Trial Lawyers for Justice, said in a statement posted on Instagram.

One of the drinks fell on Garcia’s lap, causing third-degree burns to his penis, groin and inner thighs.

“After a hospitalization and multiple skin grafts, Michael has lived for five years with the disfigurement, pain, dysfunction, and psychological harm caused by the burns,” his attorneys said in the statement.

Starbucks told the Washington Post in an email statement that it plans to appeal the verdict.

“We sympathize with Mr. Garcia, but we disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive,” the statement reads. “We have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks.”

Medicine Ball hot tea – steamed lemonade, hot water, Jade Citrus Mint green tea, Peach Tranquility tea and honey – was originally an off-menu drink and was touted as a cure-all for cold and flu symptoms. Starbucks has since begun offering a similar drink called Honey Citrus Mint tea.

Attorneys for Garcia said the company had originally offered to settle but wanted confidentiality. “We said we would settle for $30 million without confidentiality and only if Starbucks agreed to publicly apologize and promise to change policy to prevent this from happening again,” the attorneys said in their statement.