A Florida woman who received first and second degree burns when the lid of her Starbucks coffee came off and the scalding liquid spilled on her lap settled her case with Starbucks for $100,000.
Joanne Mogaverno sustained permanent scaring when the lid popped off the Venti-sized coffee as it was passed. The coffee was 190 degrees when it spilled on Mogaverno’s lap in the Starbucks drive-thru in 2014. The lawsuit alleged that the lid to the drink was either defective or was not attached properly. The jury awarded her $85,000 for her pain and suffering and $15,000 for her medical expenses.
According to a report from Fortune.com, each month, Starbucks receives approximately 80 complaints against its lids either leaking or coming off. An employee testified at the trial that despite this, Starbucks did not think it was necessary to warn customers of this risk. The attorneys for Mrs. Mogaverno argued that the coffee company should warn customers of the risk of its lids popping off.
At this time, Starbucks is considering appealing the jury’s verdict.
