Race car driver Danica Patrick took to social media recently and posted photos showing several stages of a severe burn she received after being scalded by hot water from the Starbucks coffee chain. The photo shows the burn area beginning to peel along with a red mark on the driver’s left leg. Patrick has been courageously documenting her burn injury in pictures on Instagram for the last few days.
On Dec. 1, 2024, 42-year-old Danica Patrick posted a series of pictures via Instagram she said were the result of scalding water that damaged her skin. The main photo highlighted a circular burn and a large red area surrounding it. Patrick asked the question “Is there anyone else who feels their hot water is excessively hot?” to better explain the photos. By the third day post burn, Patrick posted an image of her thigh, which revealed a red circle with the area around the burn mark and the beginnings of a scar. She captioned the picture “Day 3” with a meme of Kirsten Wiig’s Target Lady character from Saturday Night Live looking on with a disgusted expression. Patrick then posted another image of the burn, this one with a large bandage covering the area.
Scalding injuries of this type happen when skin comes into contact with hot liquids or steam. Injuries of this type are common in domestic and occupational settings, as well as in restaurants and coffee shops, often as a result of direct contact with boiling water, hot beverages, cooking oil, or steam. The injuries they cause may range in severity from superficial burns to deep tissue damage requiring medical intervention.
According to the American Burn Association, scald burns account for over one-third of burn injuries in the United States and young children and older adults are particularly vulnerable. For children under 5 years of age, scalding is the leading cause of burn injuries, often linked to accidents like pulling hot liquids off a counter or being splashed during cooking. In older adults, reduced mobility and slower reaction times increase the risk. Burns resulting from scalding can have long-term physical and psychological consequences, including scarring and emotional trauma. They can also profoundly impact a victim’s quality of life. Physically, these injuries can range from minor or superficial burns to severe, deep burns that damage skin, muscles, or even underlying tissues.
Scald burns can lead to chronic pain, infection, and complications such as fluid loss and hypothermia in acute cases depending on severity. Scarring and disfigurement are common, with some cases requiring skin grafts or reconstructive surgery. Reduced mobility or function in affected areas may also occur, particularly where joints are involved. The psychological impact of scalding burns may be as significant as the physical damage. Victims may experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression, especially if the injury is severe or life-threatening. Visible scarring or disfigurement can lead to body image issues and social withdrawal, affecting self-esteem and interpersonal relationships. Children especially may struggle to process the trauma, resulting in developmental and emotional challenges.
Coffee shops can be held liable for scalding burns if the plaintiff is able to prove the shop was negligent. Businesses are obligated to maintain a safe environment for their customers and that includes minimizing the foreseeable risks of injury. The liability of a coffee shop may be decided on factors like beverage temperature, warnings provided when he beverage is served and other factors. Water or a beverage served at an unsafe temperature may lead to a scalding-injuries. You may recall the McDonald’s coffee case where a jury found the chain liable for serving coffee at dangerously high temperatures without adequate warnings, resulting in severe burns to a customer. In that case a 79-year-old patron bought a cup of takeout coffee at a McDonald’s drive-thru and spilled it on her lap. The 79-year- old sued McDonalds and a jury awarded her nearly $3 million in compensation for her injuries. A portion of her award was punitive damages.
Failure to adequately warn about the potential for burn injuries may be an important portion of a claim of this sort. In 2025 many coffee shops include labels that warn “Caution: Hot” on cups in an attempt to minimize their risk. The establishment may still be liable if the warnings are absent, insufficient or difficult to understand. A coffee shop may also be liable if negligence is demonstrated in cases like poorly secured lids, serving excessively hot beverages on an unstable surface, or negligent employee behavior.
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when insurance companies fail to offer full compensation. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com
