By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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No reported Spokane case, and what that means
Our research turned up no reported Starbucks burn lawsuit or incident from Spokane or Spokane County. The single Washington filing we found was the 2012 Sturgess suit in King County, over a green tea lid. Starbucks’ 10-K does not report store counts by state, so we do not know how many stores the city has. A Spokane claim would rest on its own facts.
Lid cases have gone both ways
Many of the Starbucks burn suits we found involve lids, and juries have split on them.
| Case | What happened | Result reported |
|---|---|---|
| Mogavero, Jacksonville, Fla. | Lid popped off a drive-through coffee in 2014; first- and second-degree burns | Jury found Starbucks 80 percent at fault and awarded $100,000 (2017) |
| Kohr, Raleigh, N.C. | Lid popped off and a sleeveless 20-ounce cup collapsed in 2012 | Jury found Starbucks not liable (2015) |
| Erchul, Brunswick, Ga. | Drive-through coffee spill in November 2015 | Verdict for Starbucks, affirmed by the Eleventh Circuit (2018) |
| North Carolina lid-design suit | She says the lid of her hot Americano came off with no warning and the drink spilled onto her lap | Removed to federal court (2025) |
The Erchul opinion describes a deposition a Starbucks representative gave in an earlier lawsuit, which put the rate at “two complaints per million beverages sold,” about 80 a month, and the court noted those were general complaints about cups and lids. That does not prove any one lid failed. Our Starbucks drive-thru lid burns page goes through more of these suits.
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When the lid maker is a defendant
A lid that releases under normal handling can support a claim against whoever designed or made it. The Piluyev suit over a Roseville, California drive-thru tea named Pactiv alongside Starbucks, on negligence and product liability theories. In Washington, product claims fall under the Washington Product Liability Act (RCW 7.72.030), which has its own three-year limitation period (RCW 7.72.060). That is why the lid itself matters: once it is pressed back on, washed or thrown out, it cannot be tested.
Spokane hospitals and the transfer to Seattle
| Hospital | City | Washington designation |
|---|---|---|
| Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital | Spokane | Level II adult and Level II pediatric trauma |
| MultiCare Deaconess Hospital | Spokane | Level III trauma |
| Providence Holy Family Hospital | Spokane | Level III trauma |
| MultiCare Valley Hospital | Spokane Valley | Level III trauma |
| Harborview Medical Center, UW Medicine Regional Burn Center | Seattle | Level I adult and pediatric trauma; ABA-verified burn center |
The ABA directory lists no burn center in Spokane. The Spokane Fire Department’s account of a December 2019 RV explosion in Browne’s Addition shows how that path can work: the critically burned man went to Sacred Heart and, once stable, to the Harborview burn unit. A deep coffee scald may follow the same route. More is on our Spokane burn injury and Seattle Starbucks pages.
An evidence timeline for a lid burn
The same day. Photograph the lid on a plain surface, top and underside, then put it in a bag with the cup and sleeve. Screenshot the Starbucks app order or keep the receipt. Write down the lane, the window and what the employee said.
Within the week. Send the store and Starbucks a written request to keep the drive-thru and window video, naming the date and time. In Felder v. MGM National Harbor, a federal court in Maryland held in 2024 that a routine 14-day overwrite was not spoliation where notice came after the footage was gone. Store video was central in Garcia v. Starbucks, a $50 million verdict in 2025. Starbucks said it would appeal, but the case settled in June 2025 and was dismissed in July 2025; the terms were not made public (LASC case summary).
After a transfer. If you were sent to Seattle, keep mileage, flight, lodging and meal receipts for you and your family.
Washington law for a Spokane Starbucks burn
| Point | Rule | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Filing deadline | Three years for injury to the person | RCW 4.16.080(2) |
| Claim against the lid maker | Product Liability Act’s own three-year period | RCW 7.72.060 |
| Partly at fault | Award reduced by your share, never barred | RCW 4.22.005 |
| Store on City of Spokane, Spokane County or other local government property, with a claim against that body | Claim presented first, then a 60-day wait before suit | RCW 4.96.020 |
| Child burned | Time under 18 not counted | RCW 4.16.190 |
| Which court | District courts hear claims up to $100,000 per claimant; larger claims go to Superior Court, 1116 W. Broadway Ave. | RCW 3.66.020 |
Washington generally does not allow punitive damages (Dailey v. North Coast Life, 1996), so the case is about proving the full cost of the injury. See our main Starbucks burn injury page for more on proof.
Spokane Starbucks burn questions
The lid came off as I drove away from a Spokane drive-thru. Who is responsible?
The store, the lid maker or both; the lid and the video usually tell.
Where are serious burns from Spokane treated?
A patient may be stabilized first at a Spokane trauma hospital such as Sacred Heart. The only ABA-verified burn center in Washington is at Harborview in Seattle.
Does Washington law let me sue a lid manufacturer?
Yes, if the lid was defective. Washington’s Product Liability Act allows that claim, with its own three-year period.
Can a lawyer in Los Angeles handle my Spokane case?
Yes. Michael Shemtoub is a member of the Washington bar, and we work with Spokane clients by phone and video.
Call about a Spokane Starbucks burn
If a Starbucks drink burned you or your child in Spokane, Spokane Valley or elsewhere in the county, call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959 for a free, confidential review in English or Spanish. Our burn injury lawyer page covers burns of every kind. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
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Related pages
Sources
- Starbucks Corporation, Form 10-K for fiscal year ended Sept. 28, 2025 (no per-state store counts) (sec.gov)
- MyNorthwest, Sturgess suit in King County, Sept. 4, 2012 (mynorthwest.com)
- ABA Journal, Mogavero v. Starbucks (Jacksonville; 2014 drive-through lid; first- and second-degree burns; Starbucks 80% (abajournal.com)
- WTVD ABC11, Kohr v. Starbucks (Raleigh; lid popped off and sleeveless 20-oz cup collapsed, 2012; sought $750,000; jury f (abc11.com)
- Erchul v. Starbucks Corp., No. 17-14068 (11th Cir. Sept. 19, 2018) (Nov. 7, 2015 Brunswick, Ga. drive-through spill; ver (media.ca11.uscourts.gov)
- Law360, North Carolina lid-design suit removed to federal court (E.D.N.C.), Aug. 25, 2025 (law360.com)
- KPRC Click2Houston, Piluyev v. Starbucks and Pactiv (negligence and product liability), Sept. 21, 2020 (click2houston.com)
- AP via Claims Journal, Garcia $50 million verdict; Starbucks planned to appeal, March 17, 2025 (amp.claimsjournal.com)
- Felder v. MGM National Harbor (D. Md. Aug. 7, 2024), 14-day overwrite (EDRM) (edrm.net)
- Washington Courts directory, Spokane County Superior Court (1116 W. Broadway Ave.; Clerk Room 300) (courts.wa.gov)
- RCW 3.66.020 (district court civil limit $100,000 per claimant) (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Washington DOH trauma designation list, May 2026 (Sacred Heart, Deaconess, Holy Family, Valley Hospital, Harborview) (doh.wa.gov)
- American Burn Association, Find a Burn Center (ameriburn.org)
- UW Medicine Regional Burn Center at Harborview (nwrbms.uw.edu)
- Spokane Fire Department, critically burned man taken to Sacred Heart and transferred to Harborview, Dec. 15, 2019 (my.spokanecity.org)
- RCW 4.16.080 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 4.22.005 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 4.96.020 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 7.72.030 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 7.72.060 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 4.16.190 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- Dailey v. North Coast Life Ins. Co., 129 Wn.2d 572 (1996) (law.justia.com)
- Los Angeles Superior Court, case summary for Garcia v. Starbucks, No. 20STCV10214 (post-trial motions denied June 4, 202 (cap.lacourt.ca.gov)
Important: This page is general information, not legal or medical advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. Last reviewed: November 6, 2026.