Woman sues Starbucks claiming her dog was scalded and killed by hot tea

The coffee shop has refuted the claims

(Getty Images)

A woman is suing Starbucks after she claims her dog was killed by scalding hot tea from the coffee shop in 2015.

58-year-old Deanna Salas-Solano says that after buying a tea from a Starbucks drive-through in Denver, Colorado, the lid was not secured properly and so the hot liquid spilled on to her skin.

She says the tea was so hot that it melted her clothes, causing damage to the skin on her stomach and legs.

As Salas-Solano allegedly cried out in pain, she says her dog Alexander jumped on to her lap, causing her to spill tea on him too.

According to the lawsuit, the beverage wasn’t double-cupped and there was no protective sleeve.

It also says that Alexander was taken straight to an emergency veterinary practice, but “ultimately succumbed to the injuries caused by the tea, dying a short time later.”

As for Salas-Solano, the lawsuit says she was taken straight to hospital to treat her burns, and underwent surgery the next day.

She needed skin grafts, and allegedly suffered “two per cent total body surface area second-degree burn injury to the abdomen and bilateral thighs.”

Salas-Salano is seeking over $100,000 (£75,000) in compensation.

However Starbucks has refuted the claim.

“We have video evidence that clearly contradicts the claims made by the plaintiff and believe they are without merit,” the coffee shop said in a statement. “We look forward to presenting our case in court.

“While we are sympathetic to Ms. Salas-Solano and the injuries she sustained, we don’t have any reason to believe our partner (employee) was at fault.”

KDVR news were granted access to the video, and they say it shows that the cup did indeed have a sleeve and the lid seemed secure.

They also say Salas-Solano appeared to already have her dog on her lap when buying the tea. She was also apparently on her phone at the time.