Kohr allegedly got burnt with a free cup of coffee.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: A Raleigh police officer who was given a free cup of coffee by Starbucks is now suing the company for $50,000 worth of compensation after he spilled it on himself and got burned, according to local news outlets.
In the lawsuit, Matthew Kohr, a lieutenant with the Raleigh Police Department, said the lid popped off the cup of coffee he ordered at the Starbucks on Peace Street in January 2012 and the cup collapsed.
He claimed the injuries aggravated his Crohn’s disease and resulted in surgery to remove a portion of his intestine.
His attorneys also began making the case Monday that he should be compensated the burns, blisters and emotional damage suffered due to the mishap, reported WRAL.
Kohr initially named the barista who prepared his free coffee and the manufacturer of the coffee cup in the suit as well, but the only defendant that remains is Starbucks.
The incident, according to the lawsuit, also caused Kohr’s wife — who is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit — a loss of a “source of emotional support, her social companion and her intimate partner.”
Starbucks attorneys argued that since Kohr didn’t pay for the coffee, he should not be compensated for his injuries.
When KFSN, a Fresno-based ABC affiliate, visited the Starbucks where the coffee originated, patrons reportedly seemed surprised by the litigation.
“It’s a tough predicament. I think, when something like that happens, especially given that it was a free cup of coffee. I think, you know, they are trying to go out of their way and do something good for somebody whose putting their life in the line of duty every day,” Max Isaacson told the station’s news outlet.
“It’s easy to sue anyone for anything these days. The fact that he dropped hot coffee in his lap, he needs to take responsibility for his actions,” opined Amber Mohammad.