Woman Wins $100K After Getting Severe Burns From Starbucks Coffee

Maybe Starbucks will stop serving their coffee so hot after the results of this lawsuit.

Plaintiff Joanne Mogavero was awarded $100,000 after an incident at a Florida Starbucks drive-thru that resulted in first and second-degree burns on her midsection in 2014.

Mogavero had been handed a steaming hot cup of coffee when the lid inadvertently popped off and coffee spilled on her. The coffee was served at 190 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just below boiling, and an extremely hot temperature to be serving coffee at.

Mogavero, who was left with permanent scarring, received $15,000 in total for medical expenses, plus an additional $85,000 for pain and suffering. The jury found Starbucks to be at fault, and with an average of 80 complaints monthly about leaky lids or lids popping off, they’ve never warned customers about the risk. Mogavero became a public example of why Starbucks should take that more seriously via this lawsuit.

While we don’t know if Starbucks will cool down its hot coffee, or warn the public about its lids as a result of this lawsuit, USA Today reports that a statement from the coffee chain states that they are considering appealing the court’s decision.