New Jersey man sues Dunkin’ Donuts and two of its employees over spilled coffee
A coffee drinker in Vineland, N.J. is suing Dunkin’ Donuts over injuries he says he sustained at a drive-thru, where “scalding hot” coffee ended up in his lap.
Leonard Allen also filed suit against a Dunkin’ Donuts manager and the female employee who handed him the hot java “in a manner as to spill the entirety of the liquid on Plaintiff’s lap and causing immediate and agonizing pain to Plaintiff’s thigh and groin area,” NJ.com reported Wednesday.
The incident allegedly occurred in August of 2020. Allen’s suit alleges the employee acted with negligence where she “failed to properly secure the cup and lid of the beverage.”
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The plaintiff claims he suffered second-degree burns — some of which are permanent, according to NJ.com. The report mentions no dollar amount, but the lawsuit asks that Allen be “reasonably and properly compensate(d)” for medical costs and for having suffered “various other economic and noneconomic damages.”
Takeout joints including Starbucks, Burger King and McDonald’s have been hit with civil suits involving hot coffee. The most famous payout was awarded to Stella Liebeck in 1994, who was awarded $2.86 million by a New Mexico jury for an incident at a McDonald’s. A judge reduced that amount to $640,000.
Dunkin’ Donuts representatives reportedly declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit.
