DELRAN, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- Two more New Jersey residents sued Dunkin’ for severe coffee burns after a similar lawsuit was filed in April.
Joseph Panarello, 70, and Samantha Picklo, 32, join Evan Arlington, 39, in suing the cafe chain after each alleges they were severely injured by scalding coffee spilled in their laps.
Panarello and Picklo are suing parent company Dunkin Brands Group Inc. and the local franchises where they were burned.
Picklo was burned in August 2021 and filed a lawsuit on March 13.
When a staff member dropped a tray of hot coffees in her lap, she panicked and accelerated onto a highway where she jumped out of her car and tore off her pants to escape the scalding liquid, according to court documents obtained by NJ.com.
The lawsuit claims she suffered a permanent disability from the burns.
Panarello was burned in January 2021 and filed a lawsuit on April 26.
In his case, a staff member at a different store also allegedly dropped a tray of coffees into his lap.
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His lawsuit claims the burns kept him away from business affairs and required costly medical treatment.
Dunkin’ refused to comment on the ongoing litigation, though in Arlington’s case, the company filed a countersuit that argued he is responsible for his own injuries because he dropped the coffee on himself.
The same argument doesn’t apply to the two more recent suits where staff members were responsible for spilling the coffee.
There’s precedent for consumers to be compensated for serious coffee burns though, even in cases where they spilled on themselves.
A similar lawsuit was mocked during a corporate campaign to limit the ability of private citizens to sue corporations.
Stella Liebeck was pilloried in the press and became the poster child for frivolous lawsuits after winning $2.7 million from McDonalds in 1992 after spilling hot coffee on herself.
The part that often got left out of the initial telling of the story is that she suffered third degree burns because McDonalds was brewing its coffee at dangerously hot temperatures as a time saving measure.
Not only did Liebeck get compensated for the serious injuries she suffered, but McDonalds was also forced to brew coffee at temperatures safe for human consumption.
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