Starbucks is getting sued over alleged hot coffee burns

A North Carolina police officer is suing Starbucks for serving him a hot cup of coffee that allegedly burned him.

Matthew Kohr claims that the coffee lid popped off the cup of his Starbucks order in January of 2012, causing the hot liquid to spill onto his lap, WRAL reports.

Kohr says he sustained burns, blisters and emotional damage from the spill.

He also claims that the incident aggravated his Crohn's disease, resulting in a surgery to remove part of his intestine.

Korh and his wife are asking for $50,000 in compensation from Starbucks. His wife claims in the lawsuit that she has lost a "source of emotional support, her social companion and her intimate partner," according to WRAL.

Jury selection in the case began Monday.

The lawsuit comes two decades after a New Mexico woman famously sued McDonald's - and won a $2.9 million award - for burns she suffered after spilling the fast food chain's coffee on herself.

A judge later reduced her award to $640,000, and the case was eventually settled out of court.