Police officer sues Starbucks over spilled free coffee

The man claims his Starbucks cup collapsed and spilled in his lap. Photo / File

A US cop who was burned after spilling a cup of coffee given to him for free at his local Starbucks is suing the chain for $US50,000 ($NZ66,970).

Matthew Kohr, of the Raleigh Police Department in North Carolina, claims that a defective cup collapsed after he was given the freebie in January 2012.

Kohr says the coffee's lid came off and the cup collapsed after he was served the drink, leaving him with burns and blisters in his lap. His wife says the injuries were so bad it damaged their sex life.

According to local news station WRAL, Melaine Kohr is also named in the suit, which says the spillage deprived her of 'a source of emotional support, her social companion and her intimate partner'.

Kohr also claims that the burns were so bad they aggravated his Crohn's disease, which resulted in him needing surgery to remove part of his intestine.

The $US50,000 figure the Kohrs demand includes medical costs, legal fees and damages.

Starbucks have argued that because the cup of coffee was given to Kohr for free, he isn't covered by the same protections as a paying customer.

However, WRAL reported that Kohr has argued that because the freebie is only available to uniformed officers, that constitutes 'an agreement' between him and the company.

The Kohrs originally named two baristas in their case, as well as International Paper, who manufacture the cups, but now the suit is directed solely at Starbucks.

A Starbucks spokesman declined to comment directly on the case, but said the company serves 4billion coffees per year in paper cups and that only 59 have collapsed.

- Daily Mail