NORWALK, Calif. (CNS) - Some two weeks after a man was awarded $50 million against Starbucks Corp. over injuries suffered from a spilled hot drink, a woman is suing the coffee chain for similar injuries she says she suffered in 2023 at a Norwalk drive-thru.
Sabrina Michelle Hermes' Norwalk Superior Court negligence suit seeks unspecified general and special damages, including reimbursement for past and future medical costs and lost earnings. A Starbucks representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Thursday.
According to the suit, Hermes went to the Starbucks store in the 11000 block of Firestone Boulevard on April 2, 2023 and bought hot drinks in the drive-thru. But because one cup was not properly secured, the liquid spilled onto various parts of her body, including her legs, a hip, thighs, a knee and her feet, causing serious injuries, the suit states.
Starbucks "owed a duty to exercise reasonable care with respect to the preparation, handling and service of hot beverages so as to prevent them from spilling onto and injuring customers such as plaintiff," the suit states.
"We have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks," a Starbucks representative said in a statement issued Wednesday. "We are aware of Ms. Hermes' claims and firmly believe they are without merit. We look forward to presenting our case in court."
In the recent verdict, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury ordered Starbucks to pay $50 million to Postmates delivery driver Michael Garcia, who suffered third-degree burns after a hot drink spilled on him in February 2020 due to an improperly secured lid after his order was handed to him at a South Los Angeles drive-thru.
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