By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
Burned because of someone else?
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Reported Starbucks burn cases in Orange County
We found none in the court records and news reports we reviewed. The closest reported suits come from Los Angeles County, including the Norwalk and Lynwood drive-thru cases, and from Wildomar in Riverside County. A claim that settled without a lawsuit, or a suit no reporter covered, would not show up in those sources, and the lack of a local headline says nothing about your case.
Starbucks’ annual report for fiscal 2025 counts 10,047 company-operated and 6,813 licensed U.S. stores but gives no county figures, so we do not estimate one.
The 10-K says most licensees are prominent retailers whose employees must follow Starbucks’ store operating procedures. If the counter where you were burned sits inside another business, that operator may belong in the case next to Starbucks. The national case history is on our Starbucks burn injury page, and our burn injury lawyer guide covers burn medicine.
Santa Ana, or federal court
An Orange County burn suit with significant medical bills is an unlimited civil case, handled at the Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana.
Starbucks is incorporated in Washington and headquartered in Seattle, so for federal court purposes it is a Washington citizen (28 U.S.C. § 1332). When more than $75,000 is at stake and no defendant is a California citizen, it can remove a California customer’s suit to federal court; naming a properly served California defendant blocks removal on that ground (28 U.S.C. § 1441). The Hermes case from Norwalk was removed and later settled on terms that were not disclosed. Who is named as a defendant can decide which court hears the case, so that choice comes before filing.
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Burn care in Orange County
| Hospital | ABA status | Trauma level (state list) |
|---|---|---|
| UCI Health Regional Burn Center, UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange | ABA-verified, adults and children | Level I adult, Level II pediatric |
| Orange County Burn Center, Orange County Global Medical Center | Listed by the ABA as another burn center; designated locally for adults | Level II adult |
| Children’s Hospital Orange County | No burn center listed | Level I pediatric |
UCI Health says its center is the only ABA-verified burn center in the county. It admitted 281 adults and 98 children in 2024. For hospital details and the county’s fire agencies, see our Orange County burn injury page.
A child burned at a Starbucks in Orange County
At a cafe table, a small child can be within reach of a hot cup. The American Burn Association says all pediatric burns may benefit from referral to a burn center, and UCI treats children as well as adults. Our page on child burns at Starbucks covers the reported cases and why young skin burns faster.
California stops the two-year clock while a child is a minor, but that pause does not apply to claims against public entities (CCP § 352). Ask a lawyer how the deadline applies to the parents’ own claims.
What to keep after a spill inside the cafe
- Take wide photos of the table, the handoff counter and the floor before staff wipe them, and note where the drink was set down.
- Keep the cup, sleeve and lid together in a bag, and the receipt or app order showing the store and time.
- Get the names of the employee who called out or handed over the order and of anyone at nearby tables.
- If paramedics came, ask which agency they were from. The Orange County Fire Authority serves 23 member cities, such as Santa Ana and Irvine; Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Fullerton and Orange are not on its list, so there the report may come from the city fire department.
In the Los Angeles Garcia v. Starbucks trial, store video was key evidence for the $50 million verdict. 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).
California law for an Orange County Starbucks burn
| Rule | Law | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Time to sue | CCP § 335.1 | Two years from the burn |
| Comparative fault | Li v. Yellow Cab Co. | An award shrinks by your percentage of fault but is not lost |
| Store on public property, such as a county airport or a state university campus, with the public owner named | Gov. Code § 911.2 | Claim to the agency due in six months |
| Claim against the Regents of the University of California | Gov. Code § 905.6 | The six-month claim statute does not apply, so check the deadline separately |
Orange County Starbucks burn FAQ
Has anyone in Orange County sued Starbucks over a burn?
Not in the sources we reviewed. Reported Southern California suits come from Los Angeles and Riverside counties.
Can Starbucks move my Orange County case out of Santa Ana?
It can try. Because Starbucks is a Washington corporation, it may remove a case worth more than $75,000 to federal court unless a California defendant is properly in the case. That is what happened in the Hermes suit from Norwalk.
My toddler was burned at a Starbucks. How long do we have?
A child’s own claim usually waits until age 18 to start running, except against public entities. Talk to a lawyer early anyway, since the store’s video will not wait.
I bumped the cup myself. Do I still have a claim?
Possibly. California reduces an award by your share of fault without barring it, so the question becomes how much of the spill traces to the lid, the cup or the handoff.
Talk to an Orange County burn lawyer
Call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959 for a free review in English or Spanish, whether the burn happened in Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana or a beach town. 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 for fiscal year ended Sept. 28, 2025 (10,047 company-operated and 6,813 licensed U.S. s (sec.gov)
- City News Service via 10News, Hermes, Norwalk (April 1, 2025) (10news.com)
- City News Service via KFI AM 640, Hermes settled after removal to federal court (Jan. 14, 2026) (kfiam640.iheart.com)
- ABC7 Los Angeles, Walker, Wildomar (July 31, 2026) (abc7.com)
- AP via Claims Journal, Garcia $50 million verdict, Starbucks planned to appeal (March 17, 2025) (amp.claimsjournal.com)
- Courthouse News, Garcia: video footage was a key piece of evidence (June 4, 2025) (courthousenews.com)
- 28 U.S.C. § 1332 (diversity jurisdiction; more than $75,000; a corporation is a citizen of its state of incorporation an (govinfo.gov)
- 28 U.S.C. § 1441 (removal; no removal on diversity if a properly joined and served defendant is a citizen of the forum s (govinfo.gov)
- Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center (occourts.org)
- UCI Health, burn program reverification and 2024 volumes (April 8, 2025) (ucihealth.org)
- American Burn Association, Find a Burn Center (ameriburn.org)
- California EMSA, ABA-verified and LEMSA-designated burn centers (Dec. 2, 2025) (emsa.ca.gov)
- California EMSA, trauma centers (Aug. 2025) (emsa.ca.gov)
- American Burn Association, burn center referral criteria (all pediatric burns may benefit from referral) (ameriburn.org)
- Orange County Fire Authority, member cities (ocfa.org)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 352 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2 (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- Cal. Gov. Code § 905.6 (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.