A California man is suing Starbucks, claiming that he was severely burned by hot tea on his stomach, hands, and genitals.
Tommy Piluyev, says that on October 5, 2018, he ordered two grande Honey Citrus Mint teas from a Starbucks drive-thru in Roseville, California, The Sacramento Bee reported.
“As the window associate reached to the SUV’s window sill to deliver the second sleeved and lidded cup to Mr. Piluyev, the lid lost its seal with the cup lip and dislodged from the top of the cup,” according to the lawsuit, as reported by The Sacramento Bee. “Hot tea spilled on Mr. Piluyev’s left hand during the transfer, the cup overturned on the window sill and hot tea poured onto Mr. Piluyev’s hands, stomach and pelvic area.”
“Covered in scalding tea, and unable to open his door to escape because he was near the drive-through window, Mr. Piluyev quickly put the SUV into gear and accelerated from the window. He pulled into an adjacent parking lot, hastily exited the vehicle stripped off his sweat pants.”
The suit also states that he suffered “partial-thickness burns with blistering across the lower left abdomen, thighs, penis, scrotum, peritoneum, and buttocks,” and that due to the injuries to his hands, he can no longer play the piano.
The suit also said that the “sensitivity and permanent skin discoloration and disfigurement of Mr. Piluyev’s genitals and inner thighs made eventual intimacy awkward and painful.”
Piluyev and his wife are also suing Pactiv Packaging Inc., the company that supplied the lids and cups to Starbucks.
According to the couple’s lawyer, Whitney Davis, the defendants were aware of at least 80 complaints a day of lids dislodging from cups.
“Our partners take great pride in ensuring our beverages are crafted with care and delivered to customers safely,” a spokeswoman for Starbucks told the publication. “And we take our responsibility to provide a safe environment seriously and will continue to do so.”
