PHILADELPHIA -- A Wawa customer is suing the convenience-store chain after allegedly enduring burns in February from what he said was a defective disposable coffee cup.
James Hall filed the lawsuit against Wawa Inc. and Wawa Beverage Co. in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. Hall also names cup manufacturer RPC Letica Corp., Chester Hills, Mich., as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Hall says that the cup collapsed when he was holding it, spilling coffee into his lap. The lawsuit asserts that Wawa and RPC Letica had knowledge and received complaints that the Model 24 HDC Cup was unsafe for hot liquids but did not act to prevent the risk to customers, according to a PennRecord report.
The plaintiff alleges he suffered burns on his groin, legs and body causing permanent scarring and disfigurement. As a result, Halls said he’s experienced severe emotional distress, mental anguish and anxiety. He is seeking more than $50,000 in damages.
Wawa, Pa.-based Wawa did not return a request for comment at the time this article was published.
Wawa is not the first company customers have taken legal action against in regard to hot beverages. In 1994, McDonald’s had to pay $600,000 to a woman from New Mexico who sued the company after claiming to have received third-degree burns from her McDonald’s hot coffee. Last spring, Starbucks was required to pay a Florida woman $100,000 for its ineffective coffee lids that lead to the woman’s first- and second-degree burn.
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