Man sues Starbucks after his genitals, hands burned with tea
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ROSEVILLE, Calif. (KOVR) — A new lawsuit claims a man’s Starbucks order left him disfigured.
Tommy Piluyev was at a Roseville Starbucks in 2018 when he says the lid on his hot tea came loose and the drink spilled over his hands, stomach, thighs and genitals.
“It fell on the window sill and then came over on him,” attorney Whitney Davis said. “There’s third-degree burns on his fingers, second and third-degree burns on his pelvic area.”
The lawsuit says the then 22-year-old spent 11 days in the burn unit at UC Davis Medical Center. His injuries were so severe, according to Piluyev’s attorney, that intimacy is now painful and awkward, and he can no longer play the piano.
“The nerves have grown back and healed back and he learned to walk again. Because that took a while to learn how to walk again with those comprehensive injuries around that whole section of your body,” Davis said.
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The suit alleges negligence and product liability by Starbucks and Pactiv Packaging, which provides the cups and lids.
In a statement, Starbucks said, “We are currently evaluating the claim. Our partners take great pride in ensuring our beverages are crafted with care and delivered to customers safely. We take our responsibility to provide a safe environment seriously and will continue to do so.”
The 24-year-old’s attorney claims both Starbucks and Pactiv Packaging knew there was a problem with the lids, citing 80 complaints a day about defects from employees.
And with medical bills piling up, he says it’s a first step in preventing another drive-thru disaster after a simple run to Starbucks.
“Burns are the most permanent, disfiguring aspect that will change a person’s life and how they look at themselves and how others look at them forever,” Davis said.
Piluyev’s attorney says his client still needs laser treatments and plastic surgery to repair the damage done by that hot tea.
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