Starbucks to pay out for slip-and-fall accident

Residents in New York and across the country are familiar with the feeling that there is a Starbucks around every corner. That feeling is not too far off from the truth with the thousands of coffee shop locations operated under the name across the country.

The very profitable coffee mega-giant is going to have to pay out some mega bucks after a jury awarded a chiropractor $7.5 million in a slip-and-fall lawsuit.

The slip-and-fall accident occurred in March of 2008. The chiropractor had safely entered the Starbucks location and ordered his drink as many people had already done that day. It all changed when he went to pick up his order. As he approached the pickup station, he slipped on a recently mopped area of the floor.

When the man fell, he hit his head on the floor and suffered a traumatic brain injury. The head injury was originally diagnosed as a concussion after he explained that he had a persistent headache and nausea. Shortly after as the pain continued, the man was diagnosed with a mild brain injury. Despite the “mild” title, the injury left him unable to return to work and would require over a year’s worth of brain-injury therapy.

With the support of his family, the man later filed a premises liability lawsuit. The damages awarded were for lost wages, medical expenses and the loss of enjoyment of life. No settlement was reached prior to trial and a Starbucks representative claimed that they had tried their best to come to a “mutually agreeable and reasonable settlement.” According to the family’s representative, the highest bid ever made was $100,000.

Source: The Sacramento Bee, “Man awarded $7.5M after slip-and-fall at Starbucks,” Dec. 23, 2011