This week Starbucks was slapped with a personal injury lawsuit in CT District Court. The personal injury lawsuit was filed by Matthew Tyler Mitchell, of Greenwich, who alleged that when he ordered a hot black coffee at the Starbucks at 806 Greenwich Avenue, he was served a cup of chemical cleaning solution, which he took a gulp of and became sick.
Specifically, the liquid was a substance called “Urnex Urn & Brewer Cleaner.” The lawsuit alleges back on Aug 30, 2021, an employee hadn’t realized the coffee brewer contained cleaner.
According to the lawsuit, when Mitchell took the gulp of what he believed to be coffee, the cleaning solution immediately caused a “caustic, burning sensation” in his mouth, throat and stomach, and he became ill, coughing incessantly.
According to the filing Mitchell sipped through the lid, he removed it and spotted the blue chemical solution “to his sheer horror” and then suffered a severe dizzy spell and nausea.
Mitchell alerted a Starbucks manager what had happened. According to the filing, the manager said a “new employee” had been unaware the coffee brewer had been filled with the cleaning solution and admitted that the only safeguard to differentiate the brewer with cleaning solution in it from one with coffee was a flipped over coffee cup was placed over it.
Not only has Mitchell suffered sever gastrointestinal issues, nausea, diarrhea and pain in his tongue and mouth, but, “This terrifying incident also triggered and greatly worsened his previously diagnosed PTSD, depression and anxiety, which led to heightened emotional trauma and distress,” according to the filing.
An isolated incident? This is not the first time an incident like this has happened at Starbucks. According to the lawsuit, two customers were accidentally served Urnex in the past.
In January a Tennessee jury ordered Cracker Barrel to pay customer $9.4 million after he was served a glass of a chemical solution rather than ice water.
The plaintiff is represented by the law offices of Tacopina Seigel & DeOreo. The lawsuit is seeking over $75,000, which is the minimum аmount required in this type of cаse.