An allegedly wayward dollop of mashed potatoes on the floor of an Outback Steakhouse restaurant is at the center of a new lawsuit calling for the restaurant chain to pay $1.5 million, according to reports.
That lawsuit was filed on May 27 against the company in the Virginia Eastern District Court, based on a PacerMonitor entry. Although it is Australian outback-themed, the chain is headquartered in Tampa, Fla.
According to a report from CBS News citing the suit, Tracy J. Renshaw, 56, allegedly slipped and fell at a Sterling, Va., Outback Steakhouse location in May 2023. She first filed her case in in Loudoun County Circuit Court and it moved to federal court last month, the outlet explained.
Renshaw claims that she was on her way to use the restroom when she stepped on a slippery substance that appeared to be mashed potatoes. This slip caused her to fall and land face-first on the hard floor of the establishment. Due to the incident, Renshaw sustained serious and lasting injuries that caused pain, impacted her ability to work and led to medical costs, per the suit.
USA Today said the lawsuit does not provide detailed medical descriptions of Renshaw’s injuries and that her attorney has not publicly elaborated on her condition.
“She claims the restaurant failed to warn customers about the fall hazard and that the spilled food remained on the floor for too long, creating ‘unreasonably dangerous’ conditions for diners,” said CBS News of Renshaw.
Previously, Audacy reported on a similar case involving a woman who said she slipped on prosciutto and broke her ankle at an Eataly Italian market in New Hampshire. Dr. Thomas Russell, an attorney and personal injury law professor, joined Audacy’s Something Offbeat podcast in 2023 to discuss that case, and other personal injury cases like it.
Outback Steakhouse has also been involved in a lawsuit filed by a South Carolina woman who said she “ingested a metal bristle embedded in a chicken dish, requiring emergency surgery to remove it from her esophagus,” per the USA Today report. It said she was awarded $315,000.
In the mashed potato case, Outback Steakhouse has denied the allegations, USA Today’s report said.
“The company argued that it had no notice of any hazardous condition and that it had no obligation to post a warning about the alleged spill. It also disputed claims about the extent of Renshaw’s injuries,” according to the outlet. It also contacted attorney’s for Outback Steakhouse and Renshaw for additional comment.
