HOUSTON – A New York woman recently brought a personal injury lawsuit against Starbucks, claiming that she suffered burns to her lower extremities when a barista spilled a cup of coffee on her at the defendant’s location at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Jessica R. Pyne initially sued the Seattle-based coffee company over the incident in question in the Harris County 215th District Court on Oct. 12. Houston federal court received the case on Nov. 15.
Pyne explains that she was traveling through Bush Airport on Oct. 13, 2014, to a job at an unspecified location. She had exited the aircraft and went to Starbucks to purchase a drink.
Per Pyne’s original complaint, the barista caused the hot cup of coffee to topple over the counter and onto Pyne. The plaintiff purportedly sustained severe burns on her legs, ankles, and feet.
The suit further faults Starbucks for not helping Pyne.
Recent Harris County District Court records show that the coffeehouse chain submitted an original answer on Nov. 1. The respondent then filed a Notice of Removal in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas on grounds both parties are citizens of different states.
Pyne consequently seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.
She is represented by attorney James L. “Jim” Doyle of The Jim Doyle Law Firm in Houston while Timothy U. Stanford of the law firm Downs Stanford, P.C. in Dallas serves as Starbucks’s legal counsel.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas Case No. 4:16-CV-3370
Harris County 215th District Court Case No. 2016-69430