Coffee giant starbucks has to pay up $100,000 as damages to Joanne Mogavero, from Florida. Joanne filed a lawsuit against the multinational coffee franchise in 2014, claiming that she received first and second-degree burns when the lid of her coffee cup fell off.
Mogavero’s lawyers argued that Starbucks should have warned its customers that the lid can pop off the coffee cup after purchase, alerting them to be more careful while carrying the scalding hot coffee.
Starbucks sued
The incident took place at a Starbucks drive-thru outlet located in Jacksonville.
The hot coffee spilled on Joanne as she took it from the counter tried to pass it to her fellow passenger. Steve Earle, who is representing the Florida woman in the lawsuit stated that the victim was not looking for sympathy from the jury, but justice.
Her legal team further stated that a Starbucks representative has admitted to the fact that the coffee making company receives about 80 complaints per month regarding the popping and leaking of coffee cup lids. The statement was recorded during a court hearing in Duval County, Florida.
The jury has awarded the victim $15,000 for covering medical bills and $85,000 for enduring unwanted physical pain. Starbucks on its part is considering appealing against the judgment.
In an interview with the BBC, a spokesman said that the company supports all its store partners and maintains it “did nothing wrong.”
Starbucks and its lawsuits
This incident is not an isolated one. In September 2011, Starbucks was embroiled in a lawsuit which claimed that there was a hidden camera in the bathroom in one of its outlets in Washington D.C.
Reports alleged that the hidden camera was recording the actions of a five-year-old girl who came in to use the unisex toilet.
Furthermore, in July 2013, not one but 12 customers filed a lawsuit against the coffee giant, accusing the employees of two New York outlets of refusing to serve them as they were disabled. The lawsuit stated that Starbucks was discriminating against deaf consumers and was also making fun of their way of speaking.
In addition to that, the employees also made false allegations about the disabled victims in front of the police. However, Starbucks responded to the allegations by issuing a statement on its website saying that its outlets welcomes one and all and tries to be “culturally sensitive.”
Starbucks also faced a lawsuit due to the disparity in information between its advertisements and actual pricing. A group of California residents in August 2016 slapped the coffee company with a lawsuit, stating that its Los Angeles area outlet was charging 20 to 30 cents extra for breakfast sandwiches than the advertised price. The verdict was in favor of the plaintiff and Starbucks was asked to refund 25 cents to all consumers in California who had purchased breakfast sandwiches, before the judgment.
