By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
Burned because of someone else?
Leave your name and phone. We call back today, in English or Spanish. The consultation is free and confidential.
Free consultation · English y Español · No fees or costs unless we win
Beverly Law is not affiliated with Starbucks.
Four of the Starbucks burn suits we confirmed in news and court sources arose in Los Angeles County, more than in any other county. National cases are on our Starbucks burn injury page, and burn medicine is in our burn injury lawyer guide.
Starbucks burn suits reported in Los Angeles County
| Where | Burn date | What the plaintiff alleged | What was reported next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exposition Park drive-thru, 1789 W. Jefferson Blvd. (Garcia) | Feb. 8, 2020 | A venti tea was not wedged firmly into the takeout tray | Jury awarded $50 million in March 2025; judge refused a new trial in June 2025; Starbucks said it would appeal, but the case settled in June 2025 (terms not public) and was dismissed in July 2025 (LASC) |
| Lynwood drive-thru (Evans) | Aug. 25, 2022 | Employee mishandled the coffee; faulty lid | Filed in Compton; Starbucks would not comment on pending litigation |
| Norwalk drive-thru, 11000 block of Firestone Blvd. (Hermes) | April 2, 2023 | One cup was not properly secured | Settled after removal to federal court; terms not disclosed |
| North Hollywood drive-thru, 12500 block of Sherman Way (Sanchez Avendano) | April 3, 2023 | Drink handed over with the lid not fastened | Filed in Alhambra; no outcome reported |
The third column is each plaintiff’s side of the story. Of the four, only Garcia is reported to have reached a jury.
Garcia. Michael Garcia, a delivery driver, ordered three venti “medicine ball” teas at the Exposition Park window. His suit said one cup fell within 1.4 seconds of his taking the tray and the lid popped off. He suffered third-degree burns, nerve damage and permanent injury to his genitals, needed skin grafts, and began treatment at the Grossman Burn Center on February 14. Starbucks argued that Garcia had physical control of the drinks. The jury found Starbucks 100 percent liable, store video was key evidence, and Judge Frederick Shaller later denied motions for a new trial and a reduced award. See our Garcia v. Starbucks breakdown.
Evans. The Lynwood plaintiff’s legal team said it believed the coffee was about 190°F, and the suit seeks punitive damages. No source we found gives a Starbucks store serving temperature.
All four began at a drive-thru window, and Garcia’s order was tea. Our page on Starbucks tea and hot water burns covers the other tea cases.
The courthouse for a Los Angeles Starbucks case
These cases belong in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. In 2026 the court closed its Personal Injury Hub and sent injury cases back to independent calendar courtrooms, where one judge keeps a case from filing through trial. Many of those courtrooms, such as Department 61, are in the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 N. Hill Street. The court sits in other cities too; Evans was filed in Compton, Hermes in Norwalk and Sanchez Avendano in Alhambra.
Free burn injury case review
Tell us what happened. We will tell you plainly whether there is a case and what to do next. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Burn centers that treat Los Angeles patients
| Burn center | Location | ABA status |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles General Medical Center Regional Burn Center | 2051 Marengo St., Inpatient Tower 5D, Los Angeles | ABA-verified, adults and children |
| Torrance Memorial Burn Center | Torrance | ABA-verified, adults and children |
| UCLA Health Regional Burn Center, UCLA West Valley Medical Center (formerly the Grossman Burn Center) | West Hills | Listed by the ABA as another burn center; designated locally for adults |
The American Burn Association recommends burn center referral for deep burns of the genitals, perineum, hands or joints, which is where a drink spilled in a car seat tends to land. Our Los Angeles burn injury page has more on local hospitals.
Evidence after a window pickup or delivery run
Before you clean anything:
- Screenshot the order in the Starbucks app or your delivery app, with the pickup time.
- Keep every cup from the order, including the ones that did not spill. In Garcia the question was how one drink sat in the tray next to the others.
- Photograph the seat, floor mat and console where the drink landed, and bag your clothes unwashed.
- Write down the time and what the window employee said.
Some businesses record over camera footage on a schedule. In Felder v. MGM National Harbor (D. Md. 2024), a routine 14-day overwrite was not spoliation because notice came after the footage was gone.
California rules for a Los Angeles Starbucks burn
| Issue | Law | How it plays out here |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue | CCP § 335.1 | Two years from the burn |
| You held the cup when it spilled | Li v. Yellow Cab Co. | Your share of fault reduces the award and never bars it |
| Store on public property, such as an airport or a city or county building, with the public owner part of the claim | Gov. Code § 911.2 | Written claim to that agency within six months |
Questions from Los Angeles Starbucks customers
I was picking up a delivery order when the drink spilled. Can I still sue Starbucks?
You may. Garcia was a delivery driver collecting an order when his tea spilled. A workers’ compensation claim does not stop a suit against a company other than your employer (Labor Code § 3852).
Where are serious Starbucks burns treated in LA?
LA General and Torrance Memorial are the county’s ABA-verified burn centers. The West Hills center where Garcia was treated is designated locally.
The manager says the handoff went fine. Does that end it?
No. Starbucks argued in Garcia that the driver had control of the drinks, and the jury still found Starbucks 100 percent liable.
Can I recover if I bumped the cup myself?
Possibly, in part. California lowers an award by your share of fault and does not bar it.
Call a Los Angeles burn lawyer
Our office is at 4929 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 960, in Los Angeles. Call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959 to talk in English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Ask a question
Not ready to call? Write your question and someone on our team will answer. No cost, no commitment.
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
- Courtroom View Network, Garcia v. Starbucks Corp., LASC No. 20STCV10214, Judge Frederick Shaller; Starbucks argued Garci (blog.cvn.com)
- CBS Los Angeles, Garcia: Exposition Park drive-thru at 1789 W. Jefferson Blvd., three venti "medicine ball" teas, 1.4 se (cbsnews.com)
- ABC7 Los Angeles, Garcia verdict and Starbucks statement (March 15, 2025) (abc7.com)
- AP via Claims Journal, Garcia: delivery driver, Feb. 8, 2020, tea not wedged firmly into the tray, $50 million verdict, (amp.claimsjournal.com)
- Courthouse News, new trial and remittitur denied, 100% liability, no punitive damages sought, store video (June 4, 2025) (courthousenews.com)
- Los Angeles Times via AOL, Evans v. Starbucks, Lynwood, filed in Compton (Aug. 2024) (aol.com)
- Daily Journal, Evans suit (Aug. 22, 2024) (dailyjournal.com)
- City News Service via 10News, Hermes, Norwalk (April 1, 2025) (10news.com)
- City News Service via KFI AM 640, Hermes settlement (Jan. 14, 2026) (kfiam640.iheart.com)
- City News Service via Inquirer USA, Sanchez Avendano, North Hollywood drive-thru, filed in Alhambra (April 2, 2025) (usa.inquirer.net)
- Daily Journal, LA Superior Court ends Personal Injury Hub (April 3, 2026) (dailyjournal.com)
- Los Angeles Superior Court, Department 61, Stanley Mosk Courthouse (lacourt.ca.gov)
- American Burn Association, Find a Burn Center (ameriburn.org)
- California EMSA, ABA-verified and LEMSA-designated burn centers (Dec. 2, 2025) (emsa.ca.gov)
- UCLA Health, UCLA West Valley burn center (formerly Grossman Burn Center) (uclahealth.org)
- LA County EMS Agency burn resource manual (LA General address) (file.lacounty.gov)
- American Burn Association, burn center referral criteria (ameriburn.org)
- Felder v. MGM National Harbor (D. Md. Aug. 7, 2024), 14-day video overwrite (EDRM) (edrm.net)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Cal. Labor Code § 3852 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 13 Cal.3d 804 (1975) (scocal.stanford.edu)
- 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.