Attorneys for a Raleigh, N.C., police officer began making the case Monday that he should be compensated for the burns, blisters and emotional damage he suffered when a hot cup of coffee spilled on his lap in January 2012.
In the morning, a judge heard motions from representatives of Matthew Kohr, a lieutenant with Raleigh police's special operations division, and Starbucks.
Kohr and his wife are suing the coffee giant, claiming that a lid popped off the cup of coffee he ordered at the Starbucks on Peace Street and the cup folded in on itself. They are seeking $50,000, including damages, attorney fees and medical costs, WRAL TV reports.
Before the case could go forward, the cost of the cup of coffee came into question. Since Kohr didn't pay, Starbucks attorneys argued that it wasn't subject to the same warranty that a purchase would imply.
They also pointed out that Starbucks serves about four billion cups a year made by International Paper and that there have been only 59 similar incidents.