Remember the famous McDonald’s hot coffee case? Meet the Starbucks hot tea case.

Some details on the recently filed lawsuit against the beverage giant– When the lid on Diana Salas-Solano’s 20 ounce hot tea was not secure, it spilled on her and her beloved dog, Alexander. Solano claims she suffered third degree burns so bad she needed skin grafts and that Alexander passed away from complications a week later.

KDVR.com reports on the Denver-based lawsuit, “The tea did not have a hot cup sleeve and was not double-cupped. It was so hot the temperature of the cup began to burn her hands.” Starbucks has plans to fight this lawsuit and has articulated much of their defense in their printed response to the lawsuit, “We have video evidence that clearly contradicts the claims made by the plaintiff.”

What are the big contradictions? Take a look:

• Solano: Alexander jumped to the front of the car when he heard her screaming about the hot tea on her. She also claimed that there was not a sleeve and the cup lid was insecure.
• Starbucks video: Alexander was sitting in her lap as she was talking on her phone when she took her tea which had a visible sleeve on it.

Personal injury, like most legal cases are all about reconstructing the facts of a scenario. Video evidence is extremely valuable but it is not everything. When you buy food and beverages from companies such as Starbucks, you expect safe product and temperature regulations or warnings can definitely be part of that expectation. And while many vendors have safeguards in place (Starbucks apparently has one that requires coffee sleeves and reminds employees to secure lids) they are often not followed due to poor training, busy times or other reasons.

One takeaway from this recent case is important here– if you think you might have a case, you should get in touch with us. Many people wait too long to file a personal injury or wrongful death case because they aren’t sure about the legal merits of their case (we’ll let you know during  your free consultation), they think an attorney is too expensive (we take all our cases on a contingency fee basis so you don’t pay us a thing until you get paid) or they just keep putting it off (we get it, lawsuits seem daunting but you do not want to miss the time requirements for filing a suit). At Walch Law, we are here to help you with all your legal needs. The financial payout of a successful case can help you handle past and current medical bills, the impact the injury or death has had on your life and so much more. Get in touch with us today.