Well, Starbucks is back in the courtroom—and this time it’s not about the price of oat milk.

The coffee giant is facing two fresh lawsuits in California, both involving—you guessed it—scalding hot drinks that allegedly ended up all over customers’ laps. And no, we’re not talking about minor spills here. We’re talking burns, skin grafts, and nerve damage in places you really don’t want to feel nerve damage.

This all comes just weeks after a jury ordered Starbucks to fork over $50 million to a guy who got tea-bombed at a drive-thru. So yeah… things are heating up.

Let’s start in Norwalk.

One lawsuit comes from Sabrina Michelle Hermes, who says a Starbucks employee handed her a hot drink that wasn’t properly sealed. The lid popped, the drink sloshed, and suddenly she’s got burns on her legs, hip, knee, and feet.

The lawsuit claims Starbucks “owed a duty to exercise reasonable care” with hot drinks. Translation:
Put the lid on, Chad. Tight.
We’re trying to drive, not play scalding beverage roulette.

She’s now asking for damages to cover medical bills and lost income. Starbucks, for the record, says they’ll fight it and that they “firmly believe” her claim is “without merit.”

Of course they do.

Next up: North Hollywood.

A second lawsuit was just filed by Ernesto Vladimir Sanchez Avendano, who says a hot drink with a loose lid was passed to him at a drive-thru—and it spilled all over his lap. Not just uncomfortable. Not just “ouch.” We’re talking:

“Severe burns, disfigurement, and debilitating nerve damage to his genitals and buttocks.”

We’ll give you a moment to wince.
Yeah. That’s gonna be a no foam, extra pain situation.

Starbucks hasn’t officially been served that lawsuit yet, but says they’ll “carefully review” it. Translation: someone in legal just cancelled their lunch plans.

And don’t forget the $50 million latte incident.

A few weeks ago, Starbucks was ordered to pay $50 million to Michael Garcia, a delivery driver who got burned back in 2020 after a drink wasn’t secured in the cardboard tray. The lid slipped, the drink dumped, and boom—lawsuit.

Starbucks called the award “excessive”, which is rich coming from a company that charges seven dollars for a drink with two pumps of anything.

And in the background… Stella Liebeck is sipping quietly.

Because let’s not forget the 1994 McDonald’s case where Stella Liebeck became the face of hot coffee lawsuits after she spilled 180-degree java on herself and won $2.8 million (later reduced). That case basically invented the phrase: “Warning: Contents Hot.”

Twenty-nine years later, we’re still out here learning that boiling liquids in flimsy paper cups might not be the safest design choice.

Final Thoughts:

Hey Starbucks—we love the caffeine, but maybe triple-check the lids before handing them out like grenades in a drive-thru.

And to everyone ordering hot drinks on the go:
Buckle up. Hold tight. And maybe bring a hazmat suit—just in case.