A Florida jury has ordered Burger King to pay nearly $8 million to a customer who slipped and fell in the bathroom of a restaurant in Hollywood, Florida.
The Burger King franchise has since filed a motion for a new trial.
Burger King Ordered To Pay $8 Million to Customer
According to CBS News, Burger King ordered to pay one of its customers roughly $8 million worth of settlement after a jury favored the latter, who sustained "serious injuries."
Richard Tulecki was visiting the restaurant in July 2019 when he slipped on a wet substance and fell, suffering "'serious" injuries to his back, according to the court documents. The 48-year-old customer underwent surgery, but the injuries left him with chronic pain and other complications. The law firm representing the Burger King customer, Ginnis & Krathen, says Tulecki suffered from postoperative perforated colon.
In January, Tulecki sued the giant food chain, Burger King, alleging that the restaurant had failed to keep the bathroom safe, reports Fox News.
And in early May, a jury sided with the injured customer, awarding him a whopping $7.81 million in damages. The court also awarded him a staggering $3.35 million due to the earnings he lost since the incident, on top of the $700,000 for the medical costs. However, CBS News notes that the court eventually lowered the overall charges to $7.68 million, citing the customer's insurance coverage, which already paid for some of his expenses in the hospital.
The jury's decision reminds businesses to keep their brick and mortar stores safe for customers. If got injured in a slip-and-fall accident, you may be able to file a lawsuit to recover damages for your injuries, as shown in the recent court decision. You might be entitled to millions worth of settlement.
In this case, Tulecki's injuries were allegedly severe and have had a major impact on his life, leaving him unable to work while suffering complications afterwards. The jury's award of $7.81 million seeks to help Tulecki to cover his medical expenses and lost wages since the tragic slip-and-fall accident.
Customer Blames 'Foreign Substance' in a Burger King Bathroom
The court documents show that Tulecki blamed the "wet foreign substance" lying near the bathroom of the Burger King joint in Hollywood, Florida for his tragic accident. And as such, he accused the giant fast food chain of negligence. The suit says the restaurant failed "to ensure that the area and floor of the business was free and clear of any hazards."
However, the franchisee of the fast food chain is not backing down without a fight. The New York Post reports that the Burger King franchise owner, Seven Restaurants, filed a motion for a new trial last May 19.
It claims that the customer failed to present any evidence, which proves that the store's manager knew about the "foreign substance," cited for his slip-and-fall accident. Furthermore, the motion finds the nearly $8 million award "excessive."