Florida Man Sues Dunkin Donuts After Toilet Explosion

A Florida customer has filed a personal injury lawsuit against an Orlando Dunkin Donuts after a toilet exploded while he was using it, according to a recent news article. The plaintiff is seeking more than $100,000 in damages after claiming he suffered “severe and long-term injuries” after a toilet exploded in the men’s room in Winter Park, Florida one year ago. According to the plaintiff, the explosion left the plaintiff covered in human feces, urine, and other toilet debris. The plaintiff then left the men’s room to seek the help of employees. Employees told him that they were aware of the problem with the toilet after other customers complained. The lawsuit claims that the plaintiff suffered bodily injury and that he has been seeking mental health care since the incident occurred in 2022.

Elements of negligence and premises liability 

Dunkin Donuts and any store that makes bathrooms available to the public is responsible for the upkeep of those bathrooms. While it’s rare to hear about a lawsuit concerning an exploding toilet, this boils down to a simple premises liability claim. In a premises liability claim, the plaintiff must establish that a proprietor knew about a dangerous condition on the premises that ultimately caused them some form of injury. In this case, the plaintiff contends that the employees of Dunkin Donuts knew about the problems with the toilet after other customers reported previous incidents. In that case, it would have made the most sense to close the toilet off to the public. But the employees never did that. This resulted in an explosion that left a customer covered in human feces.

It is unclear what other injuries the plaintiff suffered as a result of the exploding toilet. One would imagine that being covered in human feces is, in and of itself, an injury worth pursuing. Dunkin Donuts has issued no response to the allegations filed by the plaintiff, but it’s hard to imagine what sort of defense they would raise to this incident. In this case, the plaintiff could not have known about the problems with the toilet before using it. The plaintiff in no way contributed to his own injuries.

Premises liability lawsuits 

Premises liability lawsuits are filed under a theory of negligence. To prove negligence, the plaintiff must establish that the proprietor was aware of a dangerous condition, should have been aware of a dangerous condition, or created a dangerous condition that led to the plaintiff’s injuries. The vast majority of premises liability lawsuits are slip-and-fall lawsuits in which a plaintiff slips, trips, or falls due to slippery or cluttered conditions on-premises. However, exploding toilets are also an example of a premises liability lawsuit. Dunkin Donuts will likely quickly move to settle this suit without risking arguing the case before a jury.

Talk to a Jacksonville, FL Personal Injury Lawyer Today 

Gillette Law represents the interests of plaintiffs in premises liability lawsuits filed against negligent defendants. Call our Jacksonville personal injury lawyers today to schedule a free consultation and we can begin recovering damages related to your medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced quality of life.

Source:

abc7chicago.com/exploding-toilet-dunkin-donuts-florida-man-lawsuit-orlando/14281036/