By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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Reported Starbucks burn cases in San Bernardino County
Our review of court records and news coverage turned up no reported Starbucks burn suit from San Bernardino County. The nearest one is Walker, a 2026 lid case from a Wildomar drive-thru in Riverside County, and Los Angeles County has several drive-thru suits. Starbucks’ 10-K gives no store count by state, and we do not guess at one for the county. If your burn happened here, the national record on our Starbucks burn injury page is the closest guide to how these claims are argued.
Where San Bernardino burns are treated
The Edward G. Hirschman Burn Center is on the second floor of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, 400 North Pepper Avenue in Colton. The hospital says it serves Inyo, San Bernardino, Riverside and Mono counties, treats all ages and runs an outpatient clinic after discharge.
| Hospital | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (Edward G. Hirschman Burn Center) | Colton | Listed by the ABA as another burn center; designated locally for adults; Level I adult trauma center |
| Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital | Loma Linda | Level I adult and pediatric trauma center |
| UCI Health Regional Burn Center | Orange | ABA-verified, adults and children |
| Los Angeles General Medical Center Regional Burn Center | Los Angeles | ABA-verified, adults and children |
Under the American Burn Association’s referral criteria, any full-thickness burn, a partial-thickness burn covering 10 percent or more of the body, or a deep burn to the hands, feet, genitals or a joint calls for immediate burn center consultation and possible transfer. Arrowhead is run by San Bernardino County, so if your claim ever involves the care you received there, the six-month county claim rule applies. Our San Bernardino burn injury page explains the local hospitals and fire service, and the burn injury lawyer guide covers burn degrees.
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The courthouse
The San Bernardino Justice Center at 247 West Third Street serves civil cases. Since December 11, 2023, some civil matters from the areas served by the Rancho Cucamonga and Victorville courthouses have been heard in those buildings, while the civil clerk’s office stayed downtown. The court asks parties to confirm each hearing location on its Court Access Portal.
Burned in the car: what to save
A drive-thru burn happens inside a vehicle, whether you are headed home or onto the I-10, I-15 or I-215, so the car becomes part of the evidence.
- Save any dashcam clip right away, since cameras that record in a loop write over older files.
- Photograph the cupholder, seat and floor where the drink landed before anyone cleans the car.
- If a passenger was holding the drink, write down who handed it to whom. In the Florida Mogavero case, the lid popped off as Mogavero handed a large drink to a passenger, and a jury found Starbucks 80 percent at fault.
- Keep the receipt or app order showing the store, lane and time.
- Bag the clothes you were wearing without washing them.
The store’s own camera at the window may hold the clearest record of the handoff. In Garcia, the Los Angeles drive-thru case, 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); see Garcia v. Starbucks. For lid failures specifically, read Starbucks drive-thru lid burns.
If paramedics came, the report in the city comes from San Bernardino County Fire, which took over the city’s fire service on July 3, 2016.
California law for a San Bernardino Starbucks burn
| Question | Law | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| How long to sue? | CCP § 335.1 | Two years from the burn |
| What if part of the fault is mine? | Li v. Yellow Cab Co. | The award drops by your percentage; you can still recover |
| What if the store is on public property, such as an airport or a county building, and the public owner is named? | Gov. Code § 911.2 | File a written claim within six months |
| What if I was working as a driver? | Labor Code § 3852 | Workers’ comp does not bar a suit against a company other than your employer |
San Bernardino Starbucks burn FAQ
Are there reported Starbucks burn lawsuits from San Bernardino?
We found none in the sources we reviewed. The closest is the 2026 Walker suit from Wildomar.
Is the Arrowhead burn center ABA-verified?
No. It is listed by the ABA as another burn center and designated locally for adults. The nearest ABA-verified centers include UCI Health in Orange and LA General.
My Starbucks was in Rancho Cucamonga. Where is the case heard?
Some civil matters from that area are heard at the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse, but check the court’s Court Access Portal for your assigned location.
I was making deliveries when I got burned. Do I only get workers’ comp?
No. You may also have a claim against Starbucks, since it is a company other than your employer.
Talk to a San Bernardino burn lawyer
Beverly Law takes Starbucks burn cases from San Bernardino, Colton, Fontana, Redlands and Victorville. Call (310) 552-6959 for a free review in English or Spanish. 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 (no per-state store count) (sec.gov)
- ABC7 Los Angeles, Walker, Wildomar (July 31, 2026) (abc7.com)
- UPI, Mogavero: lid popped off as she handed a large drink to a passenger (May 19, 2017) (upi.com)
- ABA Journal, Mogavero verdict, 80% fault, $100,000 (May 22, 2017) (abajournal.com)
- AP via Claims Journal, Garcia $50 million verdict, Starbucks planned to appeal (March 17, 2025) (amp.claimsjournal.com)
- Courthouse News, Garcia post-trial ruling, store video key evidence (June 4, 2025) (courthousenews.com)
- Arrowhead Regional Medical Center fact sheet (400 N. Pepper Ave., Colton; Edward G. Hirschman Burn Center on second floo (arrowheadregional.org)
- Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, About Us (operated by San Bernardino County, governed by Board of Supervisors) (arrowheadregional.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)
- San Bernardino Superior Court, Civil Division, San Bernardino District (sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov)
- San Bernardino Superior Court press release, civil expands to Rancho Cucamonga and Victorville (Nov. 21, 2023) (sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov)
- ABC7, San Bernardino County Fire takes over city fire service July 3, 2016 (June 29, 2016) (abc7.com)
- American Burn Association, burn center referral criteria (ameriburn.org)
- 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.