Cop Suing Starbucks Over Spilled Coffee
North Carolina police lieutenant says stress of free-coffee spill led to surgery
A North Carolina cop is suing Starbucks after the lid on his free coffee popped off, leading to a spill. Raleigh police Lieutenant Matthew Kohr claims the stress of the 2012 incident exacerbated his Crohn's disease so much he had to have surgery to have part of his intestine removed.
"The cup folded in on itself," according to Kohr's lawsuit (which also names the barista who prepared his drink), causing the lid to come off, hot coffee to spill on his lap, and Kohr to get third-degree burns and blisters.
Kohr's wife is also part of the suit, alleging that she lost a "source of emotional support, her social companion and her intimate partner." Jury selection for the case is now underway and a trial date set for later this month.
In the famous spilled-McDonald's coffee suit, plaintiff Stella Liebeck won almost $3 million after the hot liquid caused third-degree burns. That was in 1992. Kohr's is only seeking a little more than $10,000.
Starbucks suggested in a response that it was Korh's user-error that caused the coffee spill, not a negligent barista or a faulty cup.