Burger King to pay nearly $8 MILLION to man who slipped and fell in store bathroom, causing back pain and surgery that resulted in a perforated COLON
- Richard Tulecki, 48, successfully sued Burger King for nearly $8 million after falling at a Florida location of the fast food chain
- The lawsuit was won by two personal injury attorneys, who argued that Burger King should have known about the circumstances leading up to the fall
- Burger King has filed for a new trial, in which they intend to challenge the verdict
A man who slipped and fell in the bathroom of a Burger King in Hollywood, Florida, was awarded a $7.8 million judgment last week by a court that held the fast food chain liable for the man’s injuries.
In July 2019, 48-year-old Richard Tulecki slipped and fell in the bathroom of the restaurant at 2631 S. State Road. was aware of this and had dealt with them before his accident.
The lawsuit was brought by personal injury attorneys H. Ross Zelnick and Miguel Amador, who alleged that Tulecki suffered a lower back injury that resulted in surgery, which was then complicated by a postoperative perforated colon.
Richard Tulecki (center left) poses with his lead attorneys and a woman believed to be his wife
The Burger King at 2631 South State Rd in Hollywood, Florida, where Tulecki fell in 2019 and injured himself in a manner that required surgery
At the Florida trial, the multibillion-dollar restaurant chain argued that the plaintiff once successfully determined that the restaurant’s management actually knew there was a problem in the bathroom that needed to be fixed.
A doctor who stated at trial that Tulecki’s medical complications were caused by his fall had previously stated in a statement that he could not link the injuries to the fall.
The jury found Burger King 100 percent liable for the accident and awarded Tulecki nearly $700,000 for past medical expenses.
He also received nearly $1 million for past pain and suffering, $2.77 million for future pain and suffering, and $3 million for loss of future earning power.
Burger King plans to challenge the verdict and is asking for a new trial.
The chain restaurant is also slated to close 400 locations by the end of the year.
Tulecki’s lead attorneys – personal injury attorneys H. Ross Zelnick and Miguel Amador
Earlier this month, a family successfully sued McDonald’s, alleging that a scalding hot Chicken McNugget caused second-degree burns to their four-year-old autistic daughter.
A jury will be formed later this summer to determine how much McDonald’s should pay the family.