A Los Angeles man who suffered what his lawyers describe as "life-altering" burns when he spilled a piping hot tea in his lap at a Starbucks has been awarded a venti-sized judgment of $50 million.

Michael Garcia, a delivery driver, had claimed that Starbucks was negligent because the tea was not adequately secured in the tray when he accepted it into his vehicle during a visit back in 2020. 

The injuries were pretty extensive. Upon pulling the tray into his car, the tea spilled, and Garcia suffered severe burns and permanent genital damage. Lawyers indicate that the brutal injuries included third-degree burns and PTSD.

Security camera footage of the handoff from the barista to Garcia in his car shows that the order was in his hands exclusively before the drink spilled. Shortly thereafter, the man was clearly in a lot of agony.

A California jury has awarded $50 million to Michael Garcia, a delivery driver who suffered severe burns from a Starbucks coffee spill at a drive-thru. Garcia's lawsuit claimed the lid was not properly secured, causing significant injuries. Starbucks denies wrongdoing and plans… pic.twitter.com/SCWU1lNLKT

— Dr Sara Qureshi (@sara_qureshi87) March 15, 2025

There is no downplaying the severity of Garcia's injuries. He underwent skin grafts and other procedures on his genitals, according to the Associated Press.

The question became who was at fault for the accident - the barista for not securing the drink or the man for spilling it. The jury clearly sided with Garcia in this case. They deliberated for just 40 minutes before awarding the massive judgment.

"It's a reasonable verdict. It's justified. This injury changed Michael's life, it was gross negligence," Garcia's trial attorney, Nicholas Rowley, said following his client's win.

Starbucks Fired Manager Because She Was White, Jury Awards Her $25 Million in Damages

Starbucks initially tried to settle with the man for $3 million before the trial. As the case progressed, they upped the offer to a staggering $30 million. However, as part of the agreement, Garcia insisted they also apologize to him, change their policies, and issue a memo to employees to double-check the cups before handing them out.

Starbucks would not agree to those terms and subsequently cost themselves another $20 million. They aren't happy with the jury's decision.

"We sympathize with Mr. Garcia, but we disagree with the jury's decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive," a statement from Starbucks reads. "We plan to appeal. We have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks."

The case is reminiscent of one involving McDonald's in the '90s. Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman at the time, sued McDonald's after suffering third-degree burns from spilling a scalding hot coffee on her lap.

In an almost identical scenario, Liebeck required skin grafts and extensive medical treatment for her injuries. One main difference is that the woman had been trying to add cream and sugar to the coffee by attempting to pry the lid off the cup. 

She initially sought $20,000 to cover medical expenses, but after McDonald's offered only $800, she brought them to court. A jury awarded her $200,000 in compensatory damages and $2.7 million in punitive damages, which was a mind-numbing sum at the time.

Similar incident in 1992. Coming around again…..

The “original” hot coffee lawsuit against McDonalds. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/WcU3jsZ9Js

— GdayAmerica (@ArtistMuse1963) March 15, 2025

This isn't the first time Starbucks got hit with a multi-million judgment. Shannon Phillips, a former Starbucks regional manager, won a $25.6 million verdict after a federal jury in New Jersey found that she was wrongfully terminated because she was white.

Phillips sued the coffee giant when she was fired shortly after the 2018 arrests of two black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks she oversaw. The lawsuit alleged that Starbucks scapegoated Phillips to appease public outrage.