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Family Sues Starbucks After 2-Year-Old Drinks Beverage Allegedly Containing Barista's Blood
An employee allegedly bled into their drinks.
A family from Redlands, California, is suing Starbucks for an unspecified amount of money for allegedly giving a 2-year-old girl a beverage that contained a barista’s blood.
Amanda Vice, the girl's mother, said that after the family returned home from their local Starbucks with their drinks, they noticed a "strong metallic smell” coming from one of the cups, according to the 19-page lawsuit. The cup also allegedly had a red stain on its side.
Another cup, which was shared by a family member and the 2-year-old, had a similar red stain. Vice said they didn't notice the blood until it was too late.
"Once we drank it, then we could see on the inside of the rim that there was blood," Vice told KTLA 5. According to that report, Vice called the Starbucks and was told that an employee was bleeding while making drinks. According to the complaint, that barista was removed from the floor.
“My wife and my baby just drank someone’s blood,” Louis Vice, Amanda's husband, told KTLA. “It was bad.”
The family told the store manager they wanted to get blood tests to make sure they hadn't been infected by any communicable diseases. The manager reportedly agreed, but the employee who bled in their drinks wasn't “forced” to get a blood test.
“The family was then left to schedule their own blood tests, causing extreme distress for the parents as they had to watch their daughter be poked with a needle and agonizingly wait for the results,” said a news release from the law firm representing the family. Even though the blood tests came back clear, they are suing for stress and anguish.
Starbucks has offered $1,000 to each family member affected. However, their lawyer does not think it’s enough, Fox17 reported.
“They endured additional distress because Starbucks seemed to not care about their wellbeing and refused to direct the employee to undergo a blood test to ensure the family’s safety,” attorney Stan Pekler said.
In a statement, Starbucks said, “We are aware of this claim, that allegedly took place in 2016, and are prepared to present our case in court.”
[Photo: Getty Images]
