Severe, Permanent' Coffee Burns Endured At Chester-Owned Dunkin': Lawsuit

MORRIS PLAINS, NJ — A man who claims he was burned by "excessively" hot coffee at a Morris County Dunkin' Donuts location has filed a lawsuit against a Chester franchise owner, joining a growing list of legal actions against the coffee chain.

According to the lawsuit, William E. Williams of Hanover Township was at the Speedwell Avenue store in Morris Plains on Sept. 19, 2021, when he was served hot coffee in a cup with a lid that came off.

"They failed to properly secure the lid of the coffee served… at a temperature that was excessively hot, failed to provide proper warning and was otherwise reckless and/or negligent in selling coffee," the lawsuit filed in Superior Court of Morris County states.

Williams claims he suffered "severe and permanent" burn injuries as a result of the coffee spill, that he has missed work, and that he will continue to incur medical expenses "as a result of the defective product."

According to the lawsuit, Williams is demanding a trial by jury. There was no response after attempts to contact Anthony Caivano, Williams' attorney.

The complaint names Dunkin' Donuts and franchise owners Maybury Douglas Associates II as defendants. According to an official LinkedIn page, Maybury, a private management firm based in Chester, has developed over 20 Dunkin' Donuts locations throughout central and northern New Jersey in the past 25 years.

Patch reached out to Maybury Douglas Associates II for a comment on the litigation, but did not receive a response.