Whoa, talk about a blast from the past.
In a new lawsuit that takes us back to one of the most infamously weird cases of all time — when a woman sued McDonald’s for its coffee being “too hot” — a Raleigh, N.C., police officer is now suing Starbucks for $50,000 in damages over a cup of coffee that spilled in his lap.
The aforementioned McDonald’s incident was so ridiculous, by the way, that even a Seinfeld episode made fun of it.
Courtesy of WRAL.com in North Carolina comes the report: Apparently, police officer Matthew Kohr sustained the injuries, “burns, blisters and emotional damage” in January 2012, when the hot Starbucks coffee spilled in his lap, according to his attorneys.
He is now suing Starbucks for $50,000, claiming that the “lid popped off the cup of coffee he ordered at the Starbucks on Peace Street and the cup folded in on itself.” The $50K is for damages, attorney fees and medical costs, which include bills Kohr received for aggravating his Crohn’s disease and a surgery that removed part of his intestine, he claims, as a result of the coffee spill.
Apparently, the coffee was given to Kohr for free, too.
According to the WRAL report, Starbucks attorneys are arguing that since it was free, it wasn’t subject to the “same warranty that a purchase would imply.” They also said that Starbucks serves about 4 billion cups (!!!!) a year made by that paper manufacturer with only 59 similar incidents reported.
Now, enjoy the Seinfeld episode that includes the always delightful Jackie Chiles:
