Delta hot coffee lawsuit overview:
- Who: A Washington State woman, plaintiff Cheryl Myers, Delta Air Lines.
- Why: Myers claims she was served excessively hot coffee on a Delta flight that spilled and gave her extreme burns.
- Where: The Delta hot coffee lawsuit was filed in a Washington federal court.
A woman is suing Delta Air Lines after she received what she describes as “horrific burn injuries” from spilled hot coffee during an international flight.
Plaintiff Cheryl Myers filed the lawsuit against Delta Air Lines Inc. on Sept. 19 in a Washington federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.
According to the lawsuit, Myers sustained severe burn injuries from a spilled cup of hot coffee aboard a flight from Paris to Seattle in December 2023.
The lawsuit alleges negligence by Delta’s crew, both in serving the scalding beverage and in their lack of medical response.
Myers, a Washington resident, says she was traveling with her son on a Delta Flight when a flight attendant placed an excessively hot cup of coffee on the slanted tray table in front of her.
She says this caused the liquid to spill onto her left hip, side, and abdomen.
Flight attendants failed to act, lawsuit claims
Myers, who says she worked as a flight attendant herself, claims she repeatedly requested medical assistance from the Delta crew at the time.
The attendants initially dismissed her concerns, offering only a bag of ice and suggesting she “just go change,” she alleges. Despite her continued pleas, the crew did not seek any professional medical advice during the flight.
The lawsuit claims that, despite Myers’ worsening condition, Delta’s crew failed to contact any medical professionals or ask other passengers if they had medical expertise.
It wasn’t until hours later, when the flight landed in Seattle, that paramedics were called to assist, Myers says. They were reportedly shocked at the severity of the burns, describing them as the worst coffee-related injuries they had ever seen.
Myers was later treated in a hospital, where doctors confirmed she had sustained first- and second-degree burns. Myers says she suffered from extreme pain, and the burns resulted in permanent scarring.
The incident left Myers unable to perform daily tasks, like driving or showering, for months, she alleges. She also says she suffered from ongoing depression and anxiety due to the pain and disruption to her life.
The lawsuit seeks compensation from Delta for Myers’ physical and emotional suffering; it says Delta failed to meet its duty of care for passengers and demands damages for the negligence that led to her hot coffee injuries.
Earlier this month, a woman filed a similar complaint against Starbucks, alleging she was burned by hot coffee she purchased at a Starbucks drive thru and that the company is responsible for her injuries.
What do you think of the allegations in this Delta hot coffee lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Mark Lindquist of Mark Lindquist Law.
The Delta hot coffee lawsuit is Cheryl Myers v. Delta Air Lines Inc., Case No. 2:24-cv-01494, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
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