Starbucks sued over 'unreasonably hot' tea

poedoldman said on May 5, 2010 at 6:04 PM

Hopefully he spilled it on his, uh, thingamabob so he can't reproduce. May be a self correcting problem. The only person dumber than this guy is the lawyer that took the suit.

dede1978 said on May 5, 2010 at 12:31 PM

horseboy, the 23 are transplanted New Yorkers..... which would explain why they think it is justified.....

horseboy said on May 5, 2010 at 12:28 PM

I just looked at the poll results on this article and there are 23 morons in the Seattle area that agree with this lawsuit. Hopefully these people won't be breeding and pass on their messed up values.

dede1978 said on May 5, 2010 at 11:13 AM

I'm hoping they don't pay a dime to this idiot. As quite a few people have indicated, as a direct result of the McDonalds law suit, all of these cups are printed with the "contents are hot" warning. This individual doesn't have a legal leg to stand on and I can't believe he's actually gotten a lawyer to represent him. I'm not a Starbucks fan, but they would be fools to payoff this jerk!!!!!!

fed_up said on May 5, 2010 at 9:46 AM

Okay, so I worked at Starbucks for quite some time. The water that they use actually comes out of a filtered tap and the water is heated. I have to say- the water is extremely hot, BUT it is the SAME temperature if you buy the brewed coffee. See (warning: sarcasm approaching) when I go to Starbucks, I expect them to know how I like my coffee and if they don't know that I like it between 140 and 175, then it is THEIR fault for giving me coffee that is too hot! I deserve to be compensated for this!! Just kidding. The truth of the matter is, if she wanted cooler tea - ASK FOR ICE CUBES IN YOUR TEA TO COOL IT DOWN!!! What a moron. Starbucks will pay out too, just to avoid lengthy court processes. Sad, she is an idiot and will get a lot of money for it.

tacwilster said on May 5, 2010 at 9:28 AM

Unless he asked for Ice Tea then it would be HOT!!

wawolf said on May 5, 2010 at 9:28 AM

I thought these lawsuits were banned after the stupid McDonalds case in the 90s? I agree that Starbucks serves their tea very hot, but you kind of expect that when you order hot tea. The cup even says so. Hope it gets tossed out.

dcraigh said on May 5, 2010 at 8:36 AM

If I were the judge, I would through the case out, and, throw this person, as well as the entire law firm that is filing this suit, in jail for "Contempt of court", without bail. This is exactly why our legal system is broken. And like it or not, we all pay for this foolishness! Typically, Coffee and tea are made from boiling water. Therefore, it follows that the beverage will be quite hot. I would love to hear an attorney explain to me what "Unreasonably hot" constitutes, considering the main ingredient is BOILING water.

1beachperson said on May 5, 2010 at 8:15 AM

If you wanted iced tea, you should have asked for iced tea. When you order a hot drink, you should expect it to be HOT unless you ask for it to be luke warm. Just another fool looking for freebies.

cvn65 said on May 5, 2010 at 7:43 AM

Oh Brother!!!!!!!! Apparently this dufus can't read. "THE BEVERAGE YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENJOY MAY BE HOT!!!! I wonder which part he did not understand.

adcpdx said on May 5, 2010 at 7:13 AM

Cups say Caution Hot...this does not mean Caution Luke Warm or Caution Cold...it means this friggin drink is HOT. Order a hot drink, get a hot drink, want it warm, tell them you want it warm. Seriously, if this person gets any money out of Starbucks I would be so disappointed.

noskills said on May 5, 2010 at 7:00 AM

you can heat water up beyond its boiling point by heating it in a pressurized system. Im not sure if their coffee is brewed under a pressurized system or not but it is possible to heat water beyond the boiling point. With that said this is a stupid law suit.

gritz said on May 5, 2010 at 4:16 AM

Since there is no proof that the injuries were sustained by drinking the tea, the same tea that many other people drink everyday. Case dissmissed.

yasb2 said on May 4, 2010 at 9:20 PM

THere is hot tea, cold tea and maybe luke warm tea..if that clown wanted warm tea she should have told the waitress that she wanted warm or cold tea/ The watress can't guess at what temp the customers wants. I don't understand unreasonable hot tea,, Water can only get so hot and after that it is steam.. THe customer was pulling a scam.. .I hope starbucks gives her NOTHING and if she goes to court, I hope the judge is intelligent enoght to see this gal is nothing but a scammer... IF the container was unsafe, why did she pick it up and put hot tea to her mouth...??? .

democratsblow said on May 4, 2010 at 9:18 PM

Sounds like the loser just got laid off...and happened to watch Kramer on seinfeld...lmao! give him nothing..but take from him..EVERYTHING! haha.

batti4 said on May 4, 2010 at 8:53 PM

I do agree that SB tea is VERY hot... but like other's have said, IT'S FRICKIN COMMON SENSE!!!!! Hot tea = possible burn? I am SOOOO tired of the frivilous lawsuits! Time for some judges to put their foot down and say BE CAREFUL NEXT TIME DUMBA**!

brucelee said on May 4, 2010 at 7:55 PM

I bet he got the idea from the McDonald customer.

h20dad said on May 4, 2010 at 7:42 PM

Hmmm He must have talked to Kramer...

shemomo said on May 4, 2010 at 7:37 PM

Ridiculous! What ever happened to individual responsibility???

nickc said on May 4, 2010 at 7:23 PM

great another complete idiot getting the tax payer to to pay for there life and stupidity. The laws of this country need to be changed so that a jug has to review the any lawsuit first and if he or she finds that there is no merit for the law suite the person filing the lawsuit gets a big fat fine and jail time and the lower who filed the suite also gits a big fat fine jail time and the laws of there law license.

saturn4 said on May 4, 2010 at 6:38 PM

This is just typical greed and avarice. I hope he does'nt get a dime, and has to pay court cost.

superchin said on May 4, 2010 at 6:19 PM

since just before the economy took a downward turn, it has become apparent that someone (usually a disgruntled shareholder, competitor or employee) has it in for Starbucks. I have long followed the company's unique startup and have a hats off respect for the founder. The highest form of flattery is to be copied,however, this does not mean slay your competition. There is more than one way to sell coffee but Starbucks got it right the first time. leave them alone and get on with your own business. If you want a real issue go after the OIL Companies.

anonymoususer said on May 4, 2010 at 5:38 PM

idiot probably complained the previous tea wasn't hot enough. I bet it wasn't any hotter than 212F

jolene2smart said on May 4, 2010 at 5:29 PM

wow... who'da thunk... Hot Tea? when he ordered... HOT TEA! What the heck? I know everyone thinks America/Washington is th $$$ State... but if these people don't slow down,... all our money will be gone and we will end up in Mexico suing them for the weather being too hot... Come On Know... Give me a break!

gonewest said on May 4, 2010 at 5:11 PM

Hey Zeynep Inanli. SD&STFU! Have you no pride? No personal responsibility? You should be embarrassed that you burned yourself, not blaming someone else! I'm aghast. I'm, I'm, exhausted. There are too many of them. Sigh.

rnallday said on May 4, 2010 at 4:54 PM

He is probably is telling the truth! A lawsuit though?? I too recently had a HOT tea from starbucks( i normally drink a Hot Mocha and I request it hotter than normally served because it gets cold too quick).The hot tea burnt my tongue. It was like BOILING frinckin water. I even told a co worker to see if there were blisters. lol. My common sense kicked in and I waited for it to cool down- easier than filing a stupid lawsuit.

liontamer said on May 4, 2010 at 4:40 PM

What? Are you kidding me ... Yes, I would like a kids tea please, with 2 bags and room for cream ... oh, and can I get that double cupped ? What a dumb***!

horseboy said on May 4, 2010 at 4:12 PM

What a dumb -ss! My friend works in a Mexican restaurant and has to say "hot plate" each time they deliver a meal to someone. He laughs how many people immediately touch the plate after telling them to burn their hands. Perhaps if we weren't putting up multi-million dollar fences to stop people from jumping off the Aurora bridge, we might clean up the gene pool a bit?

tuomoks said on May 4, 2010 at 3:59 PM

And now I have to sue myself, or maybe King5(?) because seeing this article made me to forget that my tee was fresh made and very hot. And when suing King5 maybe I can sue Bosh at the same time, actually as a partner in crime with King5 and because I have trouble using my left hand, one finger missing after colliding with a Bosh table saw blade last year. I'm sure I can figure other manufacturers also, yes, the manufacturer of this laptop - without it I wouldn't have been reading the article and .., you know - have to stop this for a while and go to figure other, this look good and lots of money!

lilredcv said on May 4, 2010 at 3:58 PM

Money for nothing and his tea/coffee for free....

oldgroaner said on May 4, 2010 at 3:45 PM

I sincerely hope that Starbucks tells this nitwit to take a flying leap back into reality where the rest of us use common sense when drinking, or eating hot items. When that Dufus in New Mexico settled with McD's, it also affected the manufacturres of home coffee makers. They all turned down the temperature on the coffee makers, and now it is good luck getting a hot cup of coffee at home, if you add creme to your coffee, unless you spend big bucks for a fancy one.

cethe said on May 4, 2010 at 3:43 PM

"YOU MEAN I HAVE TO DRINK THIS COFFEE HOT?" -clerks i mean come on dude....warnings, labels...yeah it's FREAKIN HOT *sigh

dede1978 said on May 4, 2010 at 3:30 PM

Hopefully this will get thrown out real fast... Doesn't Starbucks, as well as anyother joint that serves hot beverages have warnings printed on the containers???? He's out for the money, that's all.....

ginnyleeu said on May 4, 2010 at 3:27 PM

So I concur on the mental pain and anguish, ridiculous. Yes the warning is there and maybe it is served at 210 degrees I have no idea. What I do know is they serve me my tea in two cups and a cup sleave and I still have to change hands carring it into the office or my hand would be burned through the cup. So ya it's hot and perhaps too hot. But then I'm not dumb enough to try and drink it like that either.

brucelee said on May 4, 2010 at 3:09 PM

The guy did it on purpose. For $$$$$$$$$$$$$!

cyrixlord said on May 4, 2010 at 3:09 PM

Remember, my highly litigation-happy children, as it says on the cup, "The beverage you are about to enjoy may be hot!"

skippythedog said on May 4, 2010 at 3:08 PM

Zeynep needs to go back to Istanbul where she is from, where she will be safe. We all know that they don't serve any hot drinks in Turkey.

newlogin86 said on May 4, 2010 at 3:06 PM

Mental anguish? So, when you burned yourself say on a campfire, did you sue the campground? Freakin' hot tea! Test it before you go swinging around the cup! I always do!

brucelee said on May 4, 2010 at 3:04 PM

In this economy, they'll try anything for $$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!

brucelee said on May 4, 2010 at 3:00 PM

Great physical pain and mental anguish ------------> $$$$$$$$$!

chuckstr76 said on May 4, 2010 at 2:59 PM

Your ordering HOT TEA...Hello, ... I am amazed at the number of brain dead idiot people out there who think that being stupid will get them money.... buy the way, getting hit with a baseball bat will hurt, is there a warning label on one?

senormoofer said on May 4, 2010 at 2:48 PM

Ok, so as a former Starbucks employee for 5 years, let me lay this to rest, right now. You're getting tea that is ALWAYS 210 degrees Fahrenheit from a shuttle spout/water spigot. It takes hot water to make tea, this you should know ahead of time. If you're dumb enough to take your cup, and splash it all over your face/hands/body when you first receive it from a barista, that is your own fault. I've done it before by taking a drink too fast, I haven't sued anyone. You get something hot, you EXPECT it to be hot. Next you'll be suing because "my tea isn't hot enough to bring the flavor out of the tea bag". Enough said. Stop being so sue happy over something so menial. For something to cause second degree burns, you're going to need a rolling boil of water with extensive contact to the skin, which Starbucks would not be serving their customers. Ridiculous.