Family Sues Starbucks for Contaminated Drinks
A California couple found blood smeared on two Starbucks cups containing their drinks, according to a recent lawsuit filed by the family's legal team.
In February 2016, Amanda Vice, her husband, Louis, and his mother ordered drinks from a San Bernardino Starbucks and noticed a red smear and a "strong metallic smell" on one of the cups, KTLA reports. A similar stain was found on a second cup, from which the couple's 2-year-old daughter was drinking, according to the complaint.
After determining that nobody in the family was bleeding, the family called Starbucks to report the incident, according to a release from the Vices' legal team. The suit claims the Vices were offered free drinks for a week and that the manager removed the bleeding employee from the sales floor.
The manager also agreed to have the worker take a blood test, although the employee never ended up being forced to do so, according to the complaint. The Vices, who were "left to schedule their own blood tests, causing extreme distress," according to the news release, are suing the coffee chain for several counts including negligence, emotional distress, battery, and assault.
The lawsuit, filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court, reads, “The thought of ingesting a stranger’s blood was disturbing, distressing, and nauseating," according to The Washington Post.
The family claims they have taken multiple tests for HIV and other diseases. The law firm handling the Vices' case said those exams ultimately came back negative.
“We shouldn’t have to worry about going to get something to drink and there being blood in our drink where we could get sick," Amanda told KTLA. "It’s very stressful.”
Starbucks representative Reggie Borges said he was surprised to see the family's legal team release a statement after submitting the suit and sharing so many details in a way that's designed to draw attention.
"We’ll work with the family to try to get to a place where they feel comfortable and to better understand these allegations," he said.
