Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
Burned because of someone else?
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Beverly Law is not affiliated with Starbucks. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou.
What we found for Dallas
We found no reported Starbucks burn case from Dallas or Dallas County in the court records and news reports we reviewed. The two Texas suits in our sources are from the Houston area; they are on our Houston Starbucks burn page, and the national case list is on the main Starbucks burn injury lawyer page.
Starbucks does not publish a Dallas store count either. Its annual report for the year ended September 28, 2025 lists 10,047 company-operated and 6,813 licensed stores in the United States and gives no figures by state (Form 10-K).
Company store or licensed counter
Some Starbucks counters are run by another company under a license. The same 10-K says licensees pay the operating costs, most are prominent retailers, and their employees must follow Starbucks’ detailed store operating procedures. Keep the receipt; the business name on it helps show who ran the counter.
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Evidence after a burn at a cafe table or pickup counter
Inside a cafe, a burn can happen after the handoff: a cup tips over on a table, or a lid gives way as you lift a mobile order off the counter. What to keep:
- Photos of the spot where it happened, taken before staff wipe the table, counter or floor.
- The cup and lid, and a note of whether a sleeve was on it. Deanna Salas-Solano alleged that the 20-ounce tea she bought at a Denver drive-thru in 2015 had no hot cup sleeve, was not double-cupped and had an unsecured lid. Starbucks said it had video evidence that “clearly contradicts the claims” (FOX6).
- Your clothing, unwashed, in a bag.
- Names and numbers of people at nearby tables and of the employee who called out the drink.
- A written incident report. Ask the manager to make one and write down when you asked.
- The order record, from the app or the receipt, with the drink, size and time.
A table spill can reach a small child. In Stuart, Florida, in 2011, a large coffee and a large tea spilled onto a 13-month-old while an adult was seating her in a portable high chair attached to the table; she was burned over 18 percent of her body (CBS Miami), and NBC Miami reported that police determined it was an accident (NBC Miami). The American Burn Association says all pediatric burns may benefit from burn center referral (ABA). More on child burns at Starbucks.
Parkland and other burn care for Dallas
Parkland says its burn center opened in 1962, treats more than 2,200 patients a year, has held ABA verification since 1996, and was re-verified in 2025 for both adults and children (Parkland Health).
| Burn program | City | ABA status |
|---|---|---|
| Parkland Burn Center | Dallas | ABA-verified (adult and pediatric) |
| Burn and Reconstructive Center at Medical City Plano | Plano | ABA-verified |
| The Burn Center at Methodist Dallas Medical Center | Dallas | Listed by the ABA as another burn center (not ABA-verified) |
Source: ABA Find a Burn Center.
Dallas County courts
A Dallas burn suit in state court goes to the Dallas County civil district courts in the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building, 600 Commerce Street. The District Clerk’s civil filing office is in Suite 103 of the same building (Dallas County District Clerk). See also our Dallas burn injury lawyer page.
Fault arguments and Texas law
In Garcia v. Starbucks, Starbucks argued the delivery driver had physical control of the drinks when they spilled (CVN). The Los Angeles jury still found Starbucks 100 percent liable and awarded $50 million (Courthouse News). 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; Garcia v. Starbucks explained). In a Dallas courtroom the same argument carries higher stakes, because Texas denies any recovery to a plaintiff found more than 50 percent responsible.
| Question | Texas answer | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| How long to sue? | In most cases, within two years of the injury | CPRC § 16.003 |
| What if I share the blame? | Recovery is reduced by your share and barred above 50% | § 33.012, § 33.001 |
| What if the store is in an airport terminal or on a public campus and a governmental unit may be responsible? | Notice to that unit no later than six months after the incident, unless a city charter sets a different notice period | § 101.101 |
| What if a child was burned? | The years before the child turns 18 are not counted | § 16.001 |
Dallas Starbucks burn questions
Have there been Starbucks burn lawsuits in Dallas?
None that we found in the court records and news reports we reviewed, which is different from saying none was ever filed.
Does the warning printed on the cup end a claim?
No rule we know of makes it automatic either way. In 2015 a Starbucks large coffee cup read “Careful the beverage you’re about to enjoy is extremely hot,” according to the federal appeals court in Erchul, where the jury found for Starbucks. In Mogavero, a Jacksonville jury found Starbucks 80 percent at fault and awarded $100,000 (ABA Journal).
The Starbucks was inside another store. Who is responsible?
It may be a licensed location, run and paid for by the licensee while its staff follow Starbucks’ procedures, so both companies may need to be looked at.
Where should a burned child be treated in Dallas?
Parkland’s burn center is ABA-verified for children as well as adults. For the lawsuit, Texas does not count the years before the child turns 18 against the two-year deadline.
Talk to us about a Dallas Starbucks burn
Call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959 if a Starbucks drink burned you or your child anywhere in Dallas County; the review is free and can be done in Spanish. Texas cases are handled by the firm’s Texas-licensed attorneys, Joyce Ondich and John Efstathiou. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
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Burn injury lawyer — Beverly Law
If you or your child was burned because of someone else in California, Texas and Washington, talk to a burn injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Sources
- Starbucks Corporation Form 10-K, fiscal year ended Sept. 28, 2025 (10,047 company-operated and 6,813 licensed U.S. store (sec.gov)
- FOX6 Milwaukee (Tribune Media Wire, citing KDVR), Salas-Solano suit, Denver drive-thru, 2015; no hot cup sleeve, not dou (fox6now.com)
- CBS Miami, Stuart, Florida child burned over 18% of her body (Sept. 23, 2011) (cbsnews.com)
- NBC Miami, Stuart, police determined it was an accident (Sept. 23, 2011) (nbcmiami.com)
- American Burn Association, burn center referral criteria (pediatric burns) (ameriburn.org)
- Courtroom View Network, Garcia v. Starbucks Corp., Starbucks' physical-control argument (March 17, 2025) (blog.cvn.com)
- Courthouse News, Garcia post-trial ruling, Starbucks found 100% liable (June 4, 2025) (courthousenews.com)
- AP via Claims Journal, Garcia $50 million verdict, Starbucks planned to appeal (March 17, 2025) (amp.claimsjournal.com)
- Erchul v. Starbucks Corp., No. 17-14068 (11th Cir. Sept. 19, 2018) (unpublished), cup warning text and defense verdict a (media.ca11.uscourts.gov)
- ABA Journal, Mogavero v. Starbucks verdict (May 22, 2017) (abajournal.com)
- Parkland Health, burn center re-verification (Sept. 25, 2025) (parklandhealth.org)
- American Burn Association, Find a Burn Center (ameriburn.org)
- Dallas County District Clerk, civil location (dallascounty.org)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.012 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov)
- 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.