Dunkin’ Donuts Faces Another Lawsuit Over Hot Coffee Spills Causing Severe Burns

It’s déjà vu with Dunkin' Donuts after the popular beverage and donuts chain is hit with another lawsuit accusing them of "recklessly” serving hot drinks to customers.

This latest lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of Morris County by a New Jersey man, William E. Williams, of Hanover Township. Williams explains that he was at the Speedwell Avenue location in Morris Plains on September 19^th, 2021, and was burned after ordering a hot coffee that spilled on him. After placing his order, he was served a cup that had an improperly secured lid. The coffee subsequently spilled out of the cup causing “severe and permanent” burn injuries.

“They failed to properly secure the lid of the coffee served to the plaintiff, served coffee at a temperature that was excessively hot, (and) failed to provide proper warnings,” the lawsuit alleges.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the store's franchise owner, Mayberry Douglas Associates II, along with the franchise Dunkin’. The franchise owners have helped develop over 20 Dunkin' Donut locations throughout northern and central New Jersey over the past two decades. It is not clear if similar lawsuits have been filed at other locations owned by Mayberry Douglas Associates II.

In his lawsuit, Williams explains that he suffered great pain and that he will continue to face medical bills because of his burn injuries. Additionally, Williams says that he has had to miss work "as a result of the defective product." The lawsuit however does not detail how or where he was burned, and to what degree the burns were.

This recent lawsuit is not the first of its kind in New Jersey. Over the past two years, complaints have been brought forward regarding spilled hot coffee injuries by plaintiffs in the state’s Bergen, Burlington, Camden, and Passaic counties.

Last April, three similar lawsuits were filed in New Jersey surrounding hot coffee from Dunkin' Donuts spilling and causing burns and severe injury.

In one case in early April, a man accused a Totowa location of serving an excessively hot drink that caused him third-degree burns when it spilled into his lap. A week later, a Lyndhurst man filed a lawsuit accusing the chain of using a mismatched lid for his drink. The drink eventually spilled and caused third-degree burns. A third case involved a 70-year-old Camden County man who accused the chain of causing him harm after an employee served him two hot coffees through the drive-thru window. The drinks spilled on the man’s lap, causing severe burns on his legs.

The previous cases are still being litigated. In this most current case, Williams’ lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages and Williams is asking for a trial by jury.