Bergen Co. Man 'Permanently Injured' From Dunkin' Hot Coffee: Lawsuit

PARAMUS, NJ — A Lyndhurst couple is suing Dunkin', alleging that the brand's hot coffee caused second- and third-degree burns, court documents said.

Plaintiff Paul Haggerty alleges that, when he was at Dunkin Donuts on Valley Brook Avenue on Sept. 18, 2020 buying hot coffee, it was "served excessively hot coffee in a negligent and dangerous fashion."

The lawsuit claims the lid and the cup were mismatched and did not fit "and as a result its excessively hot contents spilled" onto Haggerty.

Haggerty alleges he was "painfully and permanently injured" and in the future will "incur, medical and surgical expenses in an effort to cure" his injuries, court documents said.

The initial complaint was filed in the Superior Court of Bergen County on April 13.

Haggerty alleges the temperature of the coffee was beyond what was safe to serve to the public and that Dunkin' "failed to have adequate warnings or instructions on the lid and container in which it was served," according to court documents.

There was another lawsuit against Dunkin' in South Jersey filed by a Camden woman recently. Danielle Cilurso alleges she suffered life-altering injuries after a fall at the Marketplace in Chews Landing in May 2020, a lawsuit said.

The civil suit was filed last week at the Superior Court of New Jersey in Bergen County. The exact amount Haggerty and his wife are seeking was not specified. But the couple is requesting a jury trial.

Dunkin’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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