A Florida man is going forward with a $50,000 lawsuit against Outback Steakhouse, claiming that a toilet seat at the famous restaurant chain "suddenly shattered and collapsed” beneath him while he was seated atop the throne, allegedly resulting in a fall that caused "severe bodily injury."
According to a report from Ocala News, the filing from Michael Green and his lawyers claims that due to the fall, Green suffered "significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function and/or permanent and significant scarring."
The lawsuit also accuses the restaurant of negligence, claiming the Outback Steakhouse located in Ocala "failed to properly maintain or inspect the toilet," ultimately alleging that the restaurant failed to "ensure the toilet was secured to the floor."
Additionally, the complaint further alleges that "the restaurant knew or should have known" about the "unreasonably dangerous condition" of the toilet and neglected to warn Green about the hazardous issue, and also failed to make any repairs to avoid such an incident.
In a report from People, Outback Steakhouse and Bloomin’ Brands’ have been reached for comment regarding the lawsuit, but so far has not provided any response.
While the unfortunate incident reportedly happened to Green back on March 26, the lawsuit against Outback Steakhouse of Florida, LLC, was not filed by the personal injury law firm representing him until Dec. 9 on the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court for Marion County.
The lawsuit filing from Green comes at a pivotal time for the Outback Steakhouse brand, as the Australian-themed restaurant chain is reportedly in the midst of a "turnaround strategy," with an investment in the range of up to $75 million to essentially improve the overall customer experience, including an upgrade in steak quality and remodeling several of the remaining locations.
Back in February, 41 "underperforming" Outback Steakhouse restaurants across the country were shut down and 11 more closures were announced in late October.