SEATTLE- An Alaska Airlines (AS) flight attendant has filed a federal lawsuit against Portland-based Stumptown Coffee Corp. after an onboard coffee maker violently failed, spraying scalding liquid and grounds onto her body during a 2024 flight.
The incident is one of at least ten reported among Alaska Airlines crew members involving the same coffee packaging.
Victoria Waldron filed a civil complaint in the U.S. District Court of Western Washington, alleging that Stumptown’s packaging was defective and unsafe for use in commercial aircraft.
She was pregnant at the time of the incident and has since been left with permanent scarring, according to the lawsuit.
Alaska Airlines Attendant Sues Stumptown Coffee
Stumptown began supplying coffee to Alaska Airlines (AS) and Horizon Air on December 1, 2023, after Alaska ended its longtime partnership with Starbucks.
The Portland-based roaster developed a custom blend marketed as tasting exceptional at altitude, with aromatic notes of toasted marshmallows, browned butter, toffee, and hints of citrus and cherry.
However, the complaint alleges that Stumptown did not adequately design, test, or validate its coffee packaging for safe performance in aircraft under pressurized, high-heat conditions present during commercial flight operations. While the blend was tested for taste at altitude, the bags themselves were never evaluated for structural integrity inside galley brewing equipment.
Aircraft cabins are pressurized to the equivalent of approximately 6,000 to 8,000 feet, creating different conditions than brewing at sea level.
The lawsuit alleges Stumptown relied on packaging designed for food and retail distribution at ground level, which behaved very differently inside commercial aircraft brewers.
The complaint also states that Stumptown’s packaging differed from the product it replaced and was not properly tested for compatibility with Alaska’s onboard equipment.
A Pattern of Burn Incidents Before Waldron Was Injured
The Association of Flight Attendants had reportedly raised concerns about the new packaging as early as February 2024, yet the product remained in use without changes or warnings.
According to PYOK, this timeline is central to the lawsuit’s argument that Stumptown was aware of the danger well before Waldron’s injury occurred.
The complaint cites a February 23, 2024, public post from another flight attendant who said a coffee pack holder burst after brewing and burned her wrist, and a February 28, 2024, statement from a union leader who said the packaging was contributing to the problem.
Despite public knowledge of the defects, the complaint alleges that Stumptown took no corrective action, issued no warning to Alaska Airlines, recalled no product, and continued to supply the same packaging without modification.
The lawsuit describes this inaction as particularly egregious given that the company had received actual notice of the injury pattern.
The April 1, 2024 Incident: Waldron’s Injury
The incident occurred roughly 30 minutes before landing on a flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). A coffee maker in the plane’s galley failed and sprayed scalding coffee, grounds, and boiling water onto Waldron’s chest and other parts of her body.
Waldron said she was pregnant at the time and that the coffee burned her chest and several other areas of her body. She said she has had permanent scarring since the incident, causing emotional distress, and may need further surgery to address the issue.
The lawsuit says Waldron was pregnant at the time she was injured and experienced immediate pain and fear for herself and her unborn child. It also says she has continued to deal with a heat-triggered rash, visible chest scarring, and emotional distress, and may need ongoing dermatological care and possible cosmetic or surgical treatment.
Legal Claims and Damages Sought
The complaint brings product liability claims tied to alleged design defects and failure to warn, along with a claim for breach of implied warranty.
Waldron is seeking damages for physical pain and suffering, scarring and disfigurement, medical expenses, and lost earnings, with the specific monetary amount to be determined at trial.
The complaint accuses Stumptown of product liability, including defective design and failure to warn, as well as breach of implied warranties. It argues that safer alternative packaging designs were available and that the company failed to adequately evaluate how its product would perform in airline equipment.
Notably, Alaska Airlines (AS) is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, despite the airline’s role in selecting and continuing to use the Stumptown packaging after burn incidents were reported.
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