Echoing a similar case of McDonalds and hot coffee you may remember from years ago, a Denver woman is suing Starbucks because of tea that was so hot it gave her second-degree burns and killed her dog.
The lawsuit filed by Deanna Salas-Solano, 58, targets an occasion in September of 2015 when she approached a Starbuck drive-thru to receive the hot tea she’d ordered. That tea wasn’t placed inside a second cup, didn’t have a protective sleeve, nor was the lid securely fastened, according to the lawsuit.
The cup began to burn her hands and Salas-Solano screamed in pain, causing her dog to jump in her lap, then the tea fell on him. Though he was quickly rushed to an emergency veterinarian hospital, the dog “ultimately succumbed to the injuries caused by the tea, dying a short time later,” according to the lawsuit.
Salas-Solano allegedly suffered second-degree burns that would later need skin grafts. She is seeking $100,000 in damages.
“We have video evidence that clearly contradicts the claims made by the plaintiff and believe they are without merit,” Starbucks responded in a statement. “We look forward to presenting our case in court. While we are sympathetic to Ms. Salas-Solano and the injuries she sustained, we don’t have any reason to believe our partner (employee) was at fault.”
Fox 31 Denver were able to view that video and seems to agree with Starbucks claim.
It shows Salas-Solano on her cellphone with her dog in her lap as she buys the tea.
The video also shows the hot tea did have a hot sleeve and it appears the lid was secure, though the video is not conclusive.
In the video, it’s hard to tell if Salas-Solano grabs the cup by the hot sleeve or by the lid when she accidentally spilled it.
It’s hard to determine if she spilled the tea because of the cup’s hot temperature or because she was distracted by her cellphone use or if perhaps her dog bumped into the cup while he stood in her lap.
While who remains at fault will be an issue settled by the courts, the question we want to know: Why are we serving tea so hot it could kill a dog? That just seems inhumane. Put a couple of ice cubes in the tea next time at least, for the love of dog.
