Burger King to pay roughly $8 million to customer who slipped and fell

A Florida court has ordered a Burger King franchise to pay nearly $8 million to a customer who allegedly slipped and injured his back at the restaurant.

Court documents show that Richard Tolecki, 48, suffered “serious injuries” in 2019 after slipping on a “wet foreign substance” and falling inside a bathroom at a Burger King in Hollywood, Florida. Those injuries required surgery, which left Tolicki with a perforated colon after the operation, Gaines & Kirthen, the law firm representing Tolicki, said in a statement. Statement.

A jury sided with Tolicki earlier this month, awarding him $7.81 million in damages, including $3.35 million for lost earnings and $700,000 for medical expenses. The court later reduced the amount to $7.68 million to account for medical expenses.

As a result of the injuries, Tulecki was forced to stop working, leaving him financially and emotionally vulnerable. Working “was a big part of his identity,” his lawyer told CBS MoneyWatch.

He added that the settlement will help pay medical bills for treatment of Tulecki’s back injuries.

The operator of the franchise, Seven Restaurants, filed a motion for a new trial, alleging that Tolecki’s attorneys presented “virtually no evidence” that the restaurant’s management was responsible for the slippery bathroom floor. The condition was informed. Neither Seven Restaurants nor Burger King were immediately available for comment.

A family Successfully sued McDonald’s Earlier this month, her 4-year-old daughter suffered second-degree burns after she blamed hot chicken nuggets from the restaurant.