NEW YORK - Two city law firms are suing Starbucks over allegations that stores throughout Manhattan are contaminated with a dangerous pest control substance, and the company is covering it up.

The suits are centered around the highly toxic DDVP pest control measure, which the CDC says can cause a number of potentially fatally medical issues, including paralysis and induce comas.

The Wigdor practice in Midtown claims that Starbucks has been repeatedly notified of the danger, but has done nothing to fix the problem.

The second complaint comes from the Filosa Graff firm in the Financial District, and alleges that three employees were fired after making numerous complaints about the danger.

Two of the employees are said to have been from a third-party pest control company, and the other was a store manager.

It is unknown which Manhattan stores were said to be at risk.

In a statement, Starbucks says the lawsuits filed by the plaintiffs and attorneys "lack merit and are an attempt to incite public fear for their own financial gain."

The company denied that it did nothing to fix the problem. A spokesperson says third-party experts determined that employees and customers were not exposed to health risks, based on how the pest control strips were used in stores.

"We go to great length to ensure the safety of our partners and customers, and we are confident they have not been put at risk," the company said in a statement.

The Starbucks statement also says the company does not "take action or retaliate" against partners who express concerns to the company.