Man awarded $50 million after suffering burns at Los Angeles Starbucks

A man was awarded $50 million on Friday by a Los Angeles County jury after he was severely burned at a Starbucks drive-through in 2020.

The man, identified as Michael Garcia of L.A., was working as a delivery driver on Feb. 8, 2020 when a hot tea drink spilled on his lap from a cardboard drink carrier at a Starbucks location in Exposition Park. He suffered third-degree burns to his groin area as a result, according to his attorneys.

Later that month, Garcia underwent two skin graft surgeries to his genitalia and now suffers from permanent disfigurement, his attorneys say.

“Michael Garcia’s life has been forever changed,” said Nick Rowley, one of Garcia’s attorneys. “No amount of money can undo the permanent catastrophic harm he has suffered, but this jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility.”

The lawsuit filed by Garcia blamed Starbucks for the incident. Garcia’s legal team said the Starbucks employee working the drive-through failed to properly secure the lid onto one of the hot drinks.

Starbucks plans to appeal the decision, the AP reports.

“We disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive,” the Seattle-based company said, according to the AP.

The company offered $3 million to Garcia before trial started, his lawyers said.