By Michael Shemtoub, trial attorney, Beverly Law. Updated November 2026.
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What we found about Starbucks burns in Tacoma
We found no reported Starbucks burn lawsuit or incident from Tacoma or Pierce County in the court records and news reports we reviewed. The only Washington filing in our research is Sturgess, a 2012 King County suit over a drive-thru green tea whose lid came off. Starbucks’ annual report does not give store counts for Washington, so we cannot say how many locations serve Tacoma.
Some of those stores may not be run by Starbucks. The company had 6,813 licensed U.S. stores as of September 2025; licensees cover their own operating costs, and their employees must follow Starbucks’ detailed store operating procedures. If the store where you were burned sits inside another business, it may be one of them, and the claim may then name the operator as well as Starbucks.
When the person burned is a child
We found two reported Starbucks cases involving young children, and neither is from Washington:
- In 2007 Starbucks agreed to pay a Massachusetts couple $70,000, placed in trust, to settle a suit over hot coffee spilled on their 7-month-old.
- In 2011 a 13-month-old in Stuart, Florida was burned over 18 percent of her body when a large coffee and a large tea spilled as an adult put her in a portable high chair attached to a table. NBC Miami reported that police determined it was an accident.
The American Burn Association says all burns in children may benefit from referral to a burn center. Mary Bridge is Tacoma’s state-designated pediatric trauma hospital. Our page on child burns at Starbucks explains why young skin burns deeper.
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Hospitals, burn center and court
| Facility | Location | Designation |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Center | Tacoma | Level II pediatric trauma |
| Tacoma General Hospital | Tacoma | Level II adult trauma |
| St. Joseph Medical Center | Tacoma | Level II adult trauma |
| Harborview Medical Center, UW Medicine Regional Burn Center | Seattle | State Level I trauma for adults and children; burn center verified by the ABA |
| Pierce County Superior Court | 930 Tacoma Ave. S., Room 334 | Clerk’s filings in Room 110 |
The ABA directory lists no burn center in Tacoma, so a child or adult with a deep burn may be moved from a Tacoma emergency room to Harborview. Keep both hospitals’ records. See our Tacoma burn injury page and the Seattle Starbucks page for more about Harborview.
What to keep when a child was in the car
The car seat and its cover. Photograph where the seat sits relative to the window and the cup holders before you remove the cover. Keep the cover unwashed.
The cup, lid and carrier. Put them in one bag as they are. Write down who passed the drink into the car and where it was set.
The child’s clothes. Bag them unwashed. A diaper or onesie can show how far the liquid spread.
The order record. A screenshot of the Starbucks app order or the paper receipt shows the store, the drink and the time.
The video. Ask the store and Starbucks in writing to keep the window and lane footage. A 2024 decision in Felder v. MGM National Harbor found that a routine 14-day overwrite was not spoliation once the footage was gone before notice arrived, so send the request within days.
In Garcia v. Starbucks, store video was key evidence, and the trial judge denied Starbucks’ motions for a new trial and to reduce the $50 million verdict in June 2025. Starbucks had said it would appeal, but the case settled later that month and was dismissed in July 2025; the terms were not made public (LASC case summary). See Garcia v. Starbucks.
Washington law for a Tacoma Starbucks burn
| Question | Answer | Law |
|---|---|---|
| How long to sue | Three years for an adult | RCW 4.16.080(2) |
| A child was burned | Years before 18 are not counted | RCW 4.16.190 |
| Shared fault | Your share of fault reduces the award without barring it | RCW 4.22.005 |
| Store on City of Tacoma, Pierce County or port district property, with a claim against that body | Present the claim first; no suit for 60 calendar days | RCW 4.96.020 |
| Punitive damages | Generally unavailable in Washington | Dailey v. North Coast Life (1996) |
A parent should not wait just because the child’s deadline is long. Video and the employees’ memories do not last 18 years. Our main Starbucks burn injury page covers how fault is argued.
Tacoma Starbucks burn questions
My child was burned in the back seat at a Tacoma drive-thru. What first?
Medical care, then the evidence above, and a written video request within days. Mary Bridge is Tacoma’s pediatric trauma hospital, and Harborview is the state’s ABA-verified burn center.
How long does my child have to sue?
Under RCW 4.16.190, the years before 18 are not counted toward the three-year limit. Acting early still protects the video.
Has anyone sued Starbucks in Tacoma over a burn?
We found no reported case from Tacoma or Pierce County. The Washington case we found was filed in King County.
Which court hears a Tacoma case?
Pierce County Superior Court, 930 Tacoma Ave. S.
Does your lawyer hold a Washington license?
Yes. Michael Shemtoub is admitted in Washington as well as California. Beverly Law meets Pierce County families by phone or video.
Call about a Tacoma Starbucks burn
If a hot drink from a Starbucks in Tacoma, Lakewood or elsewhere in Pierce County burned you or your child, call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959 for a free, confidential review in English or Spanish. Our burn injury lawyer page covers burn injuries generally. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
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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 (6,813 licensed U.S. stores; no per-state counts; (sec.gov)
- MyNorthwest, Sturgess suit in King County, Sept. 4, 2012 (mynorthwest.com)
- Fast Casual (reprinting the Gloucester Daily Times), Starbucks $70,000 settlement with Massachusetts couple over coffee (fastcasual.com)
- CBS Miami, Stuart, Fla., 13-month-old 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)
- AP via Claims Journal, Garcia $50 million verdict; Starbucks planned to appeal, March 17, 2025 (amp.claimsjournal.com)
- Courthouse News, Garcia post-trial ruling, June 4, 2025 (courthousenews.com)
- American Burn Association, burn center referral criteria (all pediatric burns may benefit from referral) (ameriburn.org)
- Felder v. MGM National Harbor (D. Md. Aug. 7, 2024), 14-day overwrite (EDRM) (edrm.net)
- Washington Courts directory, Pierce County Superior Court (930 Tacoma Ave. S., Room 334; Clerk Room 110) (courts.wa.gov)
- Washington DOH trauma designation list, May 2026 (Tacoma General, St. Joseph, Mary Bridge, Madigan, Harborview) (doh.wa.gov)
- American Burn Association, Find a Burn Center (ameriburn.org)
- UW Medicine Regional Burn Center at Harborview (nwrbms.uw.edu)
- RCW 4.16.080 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 4.16.190 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 4.22.005 (app.leg.wa.gov)
- RCW 4.96.020 (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.