California
A jury in California, USA, has ordered the delivery driver Michael Garcia a compensation of $ 50 million (about Rs 434.78 crore). The case is on 8 February 2020, when she fell on Garcia due to lack of proper sealing of a hot coffee lid while raising an order from a Starbucks Drive-Through in Los Angeles.
Severe burning and life -long damage
According to court documents, a barista had placed three drinks in a beverages career, but the lid of one of them was not properly closed. Because of this she fell in Garcia’s lap, causing her third-degree burn, nerve damage and permanent marks on the body. According to Garcia’s lawyer Michael Parker, the incident was not only physically but also mentally destructive and this completely changed his life.
Starbucks rescue and preparation for appeal
The jury decided this compensation keeping in mind their pain, mental stress and permanent damage while giving a verdict in favor of Garcia. However, Starbucks disagreed with this decision and announced to appeal. Starbucks spokesman Jackie Anderson said, “We are sympathetic to Garcia, but disagree with this decision of the jury. We always maintain the highest safety standards in our stores, including handing over hot drinks safely. ”
Efforts and failed talks in the case
Prior to the court case, Starbucks offered Garcia $ 3 million (Rs 26 crore) under the agreement, which was later increased to $ 30 million (Rs 261 crore). Garcia was ready to compromise on the condition that Starbucks publicly apologized, changes their policies and make additional security checks mandatory before handing over drinks to customers. However, Starbucks refused to accept these conditions, due to which the matter reached the court.
Comparison with 1994 McDonald’s coffee case
The case is being compared to the 1994 popular McDonald’s Coffee case, in which a woman named Stella Libek was severely burnt by falling hot coffee. In that case too, the jury ordered McDonald’s to pay a fine of about $ 3 million.