When you want to be a multimillionaire, why don’t you be a Postmates driver? No, the Ridesharing Forum is just kidding. Of course, the pay rates of delivery drivers are still being contested.
But, this Latino Postmates driver got paid a staggering $50 million by Starbucks as compensation for the damages and high-degree burns he suffered after a drive-thru barista spilled scalding hot tea over his private area.
Over $60 million
The incident happened in 2020, and after five long years, the Postmates driver is, at last, getting the justice he deserves. The media recently reported how a California jury ordered the world’s most famous coffee chain to pay millions to the delivery driver who suffered third-degree burns over a scalding hot tea that the barista spilled on him.
The driver, 30-year-old Michael Garcia, suffered “severe burns, disfigurement, and debilitating nerve damage to his genitals,” according to the jury’s decision. Nerve damage to his private part? That’s really worse.
Starbucks offered a $3 million initial pre-trial compensation, but that’s not enough, for sure. Now, the jury has ruled he will receive over $60 million after interest, with attorneys fees and costs added.
The incident
So, here’s to take you back to what happened. The incident was in 2020, so even more worse, Garcia was only 25 years old at that time. He took a break by ordering a Starbucks hot tea at a Los Angeles drive-thru.
Apparently, the most ignorant of the Starbucks baristas failed to properly secure tight his drink, so when Garcia took the drink tray, the cup fell onto his lap with the lid coming off the cup, so the scalding hot tea spilled over, not just his lap, but onto his genital area.
He was rushed to the emergency room. Third-degree burns are common on arms or legs but not on a person’s private area. The doctors said the burns affected his private part, groin, and inner thighs. As a result, he underwent serious multiple skin grafts.
On his way to the burn center, Garcia also had doctors remove the affected nerves from his private parts, and these physicians applied pig skin to save one of the most important parts of his body.
However, post-treatment, any friction around his private area caused pain, and he has since suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident, his lawyers spoke with the media.
Starbucks resisting the decision
So, what does Starbucks have to say? With that huge compensation, they are definitely resisting the court’s ruling. The coffee chain has disagreed and is considering filing an appeal.
“We disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive,” a spokesperson at Starbucks, Jaci Anderson said. “We plan to appeal. We have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks.”
In lieu of that, the Ridesharing Forum team asks Postmates drivers to be careful!