Customer sues company, gets $50 million after hot tea burns his penis, inner thighs

A California man has been awarded a staggering $50 million in damages after a piping-hot coffee spilled on his lap, leaving him with third-degree burns on his penis and inner thighs.

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Michael Garcia, who had stopped at a Los Angeles drive-thru to pick up his order, claimed the incident left him with severe injuries, immense pain, and long-term complications. According to court documents, the cup’s lid was allegedly not secured properly, causing the scalding liquid to spill as he reached for it.

While the court ruled in Garcia’s favour, the company is not taking the decision lightly. The coffee giant has slammed the $50 million payout as excessive and has vowed to appeal the ruling.

“We believe the compensation far exceeds reasonable damages, and we plan to challenge this judgement,” a Starbucks spokesperson stated.

This case has reignited debates over hot beverage safety, with many recalling similar high-profile lawsuits involving coffee burns. Garcia’s legal team argued that Starbucks should be held accountable for serving dangerously hot drinks without adequate precautions.

With the company planning to seek redress, the legal battle is far from over. But for now, Michael Garcia is walking away with one of the largest settlements in coffee-related lawsuits—albeit not without painful memories.

Meanwhile in other news in Ghana, A 28-year-old driver, Samuel Issah Abdulai, who was arrested on his wedding day for allegedly defrauding multiple individuals, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

Abdulai is accused of swindling three complainants out of GH¢352,000 by falsely promising to secure electronic visas to Mongolia, Georgia, Albania, and Malaysia. He has been charged with three counts of defrauding by false pretences and forgery of documents but has pleaded not guilty.Presiding judge Samuel Bright Acquah granted him bail set at GH¢150,000, with three sureties—one of whom must be justified. He is also required to report to the police every two weeks.