Starbucks sued after California woman says 210-degree hot tea spilled on her in drive-thru

A California college student is suing Starbucks after she said "scalding hot" tea spilled on her in a drive-thru.

University of Southern California student Saba Lily Shabdiz said she was moving the tea to her cupholder in a Los Angeles drive-thru in February 2022 when the lid unexpectedly opened, spilling the tea on her and causing severe burns, permanent scarring, and emotional distress, according to the lawsuit filed Monday in the Los Angeles Superior Court.

The temperature for the Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea with hot water was about 210 degrees Fahrenheit, Shabdiz's attorneys said Thursday.

They say that Starbucks employees improperly placed the lid on the cup and didn't serve the hot tea in the appropriate cup. They accuse Starbucks of being aware of other burn complaints but failing to "undertake any efforts to determine or minimize the occurrence of lids popping off cups."

A Starbucks spokesperson told USA TODAY on Thursday that the company takes pride in ensuring beverages are safely delivered to guests. While the company will carefully review any claims they will not comment on ongoing litigation, they said.

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What is the lawsuit seeking?

The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages but attorney Sam Ryan Heidari said in a news release that Starbucks "needs to answer for their own conduct, like their training and supervision of employees, as well as the clearly inadequate and inappropriate choices made at a corporate level regarding serving temperatures and containers."

He said the employee who served Shabdiz was negligent and that Starbucks should be held accountable for it.

The complaint alleges that Starbucks acted with malice, citing the similar lawsuits across the country over the spilling of hot liquid.

McDonald's, Dunkin' also sued over poorly placed lids

Last month, a 70-year-old Atlanta woman reached a $3 million settlement with Dunkin' Donuts after coffee spilled on her while in a Georgia drive-thru. She got second- and third-degree burns to her thighs, groin and abdomen when the lid came off her drink as an employee handed it to her.

A McDonald's in San Francisco was sued in September after a woman says hot coffee spilled on her stomach, groin, and leg because of an improperly placed lid. The coffee caused severe burns, according to the lawsuit.

Such lawsuits became notorious in 1994 when a woman burned by hot coffee at McDonald's sued the chain and was awarded $2.9 million.

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Starbucks fought off 2015 lawsuit over spilled drink

Starbucks has previously been sued over hot coffee damages. In 2015, a North Carolina police officer said he suffered third-degree burns from a cup of coffee spilling in his lap.

The jury decided in a 10-2 verdict that the company did not owe the officer any money.