Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) was acquitted of charges brought forth by a police officer who was suing the company for damages. The officer claimed to have gotten third degree burns three years ago after his Starbucks coffee spilled on his lap.
The case which was held in a courtroom in the state of North Carolina where the Jury voted in favor of Starbucks. Lt. Matt Kohr was seeking damages amounting to about $750,000 but after the jury had their facts in, they decided that Starbucks was not liable and thus the company did not owe him anything.
Media sources monitoring the case claim that the two sides had agreed to accept the decision made no matter what. The decision of the jury was not unanimous. Among the 12 members of the jury, ten supported Starbucks while the remaining two were in favor of the policeman. Judge Donald Stephens from the Superior Court presided over the case. He stated that there was hardly ever a situation in which a jury has a unanimous vote.
Kohr and his wife refused to say anything regarding the matter. According to Attorney Daniel Johnson, the situation was discouraging and they were rather saddened by the verdict. Starbucks on the other hand claimed to be very happy with the Jury’s verdict. The company claimed that they are sure there was nothing wrong with the service delivery by its workers.
During a hearing of the case about a week ago, the police officer who has been in service for 20 years gave an account of his injury. According to his words, the lid of the coffee cup from Starbucks fell off as he getting in his patrol car. The searing hot coffee spilled over his thighs and legs causing third degree burns. The officer claimed that he had to receive emergency medical attention.
What’s more interesting is the way the case was handled. A similar case happened back in the 1990s when a woman received third degree burns after McDonald’s coffee spilled on her. She received $3 million in damages. The case is similar to that of Kohr yet the decisions are different.
