The incident occurred in 2020 when the man, who works as a food delivery person, received a cup holder with several drinks from a barista in a drive-thru. At least one of the cups tipped over onto his knee, and the lid is said not to have been properly secured.
The accident led, among other things, to severe burns, nerve damage, and several operations. The man still suffers from pain and severe post-traumatic stress syndrome, according to his lawyer.
Starbucks initially offered the man 3 million dollars – which was later increased to 30 million. The man agreed to this, but only if the coffee giant apologized, changed its policy, and sent a reminder to all stores to double-check hot drinks before handing them over to customers.
Starbucks refused to comply with this, which led to the trial that ended on Friday.
