Starbucks Calls Fraud On Hot Coffee Suit

Gothamist: Starbucks is striking back. Like others before her, a Pennsylvania woman is suing a coffee company for burning her with their hot beverage. But Starbucks, the coffee company in question in this case, isn't just rolling over and offering the victim free Joe for life. Instead they are calling her a liar.

Doctor and "self-described 'professional model'" Riffat Quershi is being accused of fraud by the Seattle giant after she filed a complaint against the company in Manhattan Federal Court. According to Qureshi in July 2006 a barista at the 'bucks on 120 W. 56th Street slid her coffee to her across the counter while shouting "Catch the cup." Qureshi says she didn't catch it, though, and instead was burned all over her stomach. Rather than pay up Starbucks is refuting the story—according to their lawyer the woman's doctor will testify that the marks on her stomach were a rash and skin infection. And in private we suspect they are calling her story, in the words of Jackie Chiles, "outrageous, egregious, preposterous!"