Starbucks not liable for burns on officer from spilled coffee
A jury decided Starbucks would not be liable for burns a South Carolina police officer suffered when a cup of hot coffee spilled on him.
Matthew Kohr alleged in a lawsuit last week the coffee intensified his Crohn’s disease resulting in surgery to remove part of his intestine, WRAL reported. He was suing the coffee company for $750,000.
Kohr claimed negligence because the lid to a free coffee was not properly sealed at the Raleigh Starbucks in 2012. In court, Kohr’s attorney argued that Starbucks “delivered coffee that failed to conform with their own security policy,” due to its unsecured lid and lack of a paper sleeve, ABC 11 reported.
Starbucks attorney Tricia Derr pushed back on every point, questioning his medical diagnoses and treatments.
Judge Donald Stephens announced a majority vote by 10 of the jurors, instead of a unanimous decision, and said Starbucks would not be held liable.
Contact Kristen DeSilva at 702-477-3895 or kdesilva@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva
