Summary: A Texas lawyer is suing Starbucks for serving too hot coffee.
Saying that fast food “coffee is too hot” won a woman millions over twenty years ago. Will lightning strike again?
- Related: “7 Craziest Fast Food Lawsuits of All Time“
Recently, a Houston employment lawyer filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, saying that the coffee spilled on her was way too hot. The attorney, Katherine Mize, said that she had ordered a drink at a Starbucks drive-thru in 2014 when the barista squeezed the cup, causing the lid to pop off and the liquid to fly on her. After the spill, Miza said she experienced burns on her lap and excruciating pain that caused her to rush to the hospital. She said that no one at Starbucks offered to help her.
Like in the McDonald’s suit, Mize said that the temperature of the drink was unreasonably dangerous. She is seeking $1 million, and she is being represented by Brian Humphrey, an associate at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend.
Humphrey said that Mize’s injury was “serious” and resulted in scarring.
Starbucks responded that they are evaluating Mize’s claims and determining what to do next.
Mize’s case is presented similarly to the 1994 McDonald’s case brought on by Stella Liebeck. Liebeck suffered third degree burns and had to get skin grafts after she spilled a cup of McDonalds coffee in her lap. She was awarded $2.7 million in a jury verdict, and her lawsuit brought on a wave of tort reform after critics called it a frivolous lawsuit.
Do you think Mize has a chance of winning this case? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Texas Lawyer
