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Joanne Mogavero was burned by a cup of Starbucks coffee in Florida and was awarded more than $100,000 for her injuries Thursday.
What Happened?
Mogavero won the suit in Duval County after a jury found the coffee chain negligent for the lid popping off their coffee cup and resulting in the hot beverage spilling in her lap, according to court records.
Mogavero, a 43-year-old mother, was at a Starbucks drive-thru in July 2014 when she ordered a Venti Pike’s Place coffee, her lawyer said. While passing the coffee to the passenger’s seat the lid suddenly fell off and the 190-degree cup of coffee landed in her lap. She suffered permanent scarring.
The jury awarded Mogavero $15,492.14 for her medical bills and an additional $85,000 for her pain and suffering.
“My client didn’t want sympathy from the jury — she wanted justice — and the jury gave it to her with its verdict,” her lawyer, Steve Earle said.
UPDATE: In a statement to COED, Starbucks noted: “As we said in trial, we stand behind our store partners (employees) in this case and maintain that they did nothing wrong. We’re considering an appeal.”
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an American coffee company and coffeehouse chain. Starbucks was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1971. Today, it boasts more than 24,400 locations worldwide and employees 238,000 workers. Starbucks generates around $20 billion in annual revenue.
