Anonymous v. Coffee Company

Our client suffered a severe burn after purchasing a hot coffee drink from a national coffee chain.

At the time, she was riding in the back of a vehicle driven by her boyfriend, with her daughter in the front passenger seat. Shortly after leaving the drive-through, as she attempted to take her first sip, the lid came off, spilling hot liquid across her body.

The client suffered severe burns across her chest and abdomen, including third-degree burns. The injuries caused significant scarring and required extensive medical treatment, including skin grafting and ongoing scar revision procedures.

From the beginning, the case involved complex questions about liability, as our client’s boyfriend had handed her the drink, not the employee, which complicated the issue of liability.

However, the severity of the client’s injuries raised another important question: was the drink merely hot, or was it unreasonably hot and unsafe?

The client’s burns were far more serious than what most people would reasonably expect from an ordinary hot beverage.

The photographs showing the severity of our client’s injuries became some of the most important evidence in the case. The extent of the burns was difficult to dismiss once the defense saw the actual damage.

Another important aspect of the case was the client herself.

She was a lifelong customer of the coffee chain. Visiting the coffee shop had been part of her routine for years and was connected to different stages of her life. That made her story particularly poignant.

Her deposition preparation became crucial to the case.

Our attorney prepared her for questioning, making sure she understood what to expect and was comfortable discussing not only the accident itself, but also the physical and emotional impact of her injuries.

That preparation mattered because the client was ultimately able to show that she was a genuine, relatable person who had suffered a life-changing injury while doing something completely ordinary.

The defense initially approached the case with considerable confidence. Early conversations with opposing counsel had handled numerous burn cases and did not initially believe there was anything particularly significant about this claim.

That changed after the defense received the demand package and photographic evidence. The tone of negotiations immediately shifted.

First, a figure around $500,000 was discussed and gradually increased as negotiations went on.

Faced with the strength of the evidence, opposing counsel continuously asked for more time while continuing to offer figures below the demand of $1 million.

With the knowledge that the case had strong evidence and a relatable plaintiff, we never shifted from our $1 million demand, ultimately securing this sum for our client.

The Result: A $1 million settlement for our client that reflected the severity of her injuries and the impact the burns and scarring would have on her life.