Burger King Ordered to Compensate Injured Customer With Almost $8M Payout

Burger King is set to shell out about $8 million after the court ordered it to pay a customer who was injured at the restaurant. The burger store chain's franchisee in Florida has been found guilty of negligence by the state's Broward County court.

The court sided with the complainant against the Burger King operator in the said region. The customer was said to have been badly injured after slipping and falling near the restroom of BK restaurant located in Hollywood, Florida.

The New York Post reported that the fall resulted in serious injuries as the customer, 48-year-old Richard Tulecki, suffered a postoperative perforated colon that required major surgery. As stated in the documents, the complainant was said to have hurt his back after slipping on a "foreign substance."

Tulecki's lawyers stressed that the fall caused severe injuries, and the lawsuit was originally filed in January 2021. They have accused Burger King of negligence, alleging the chain failed to make sure that the floors of its establishment were free and clear of any hazards.

The jury at a Broward County court initially decided to award Tulecki $7.8 million for damages, and this include the $700,000 medical expenses and $3.35 million for lost earnings. Later, the compensation was adjusted to $7.68 million since the plaintiff's insurance already paid part of the medical expenses.

The court decision is said to be one of the largest payouts involving slip and fall cases in the entire history of Florida. Tulecki was represented by lawyers at Ginnis & Krathen, P.A., which is a premier boutique injury law firm in Florida.

"Delivering this verdict to our client means everything," H. Ross Zelnick, one of Tulecki's lawyers, said in a statement. "Our client suffered tremendous hardship due to the Defendant's negligence. While no verdict could undo those damages, it will provide him and his family with the resources to move forward."

Meanwhile, Fox Business reported that Burger King's Florida franchisee, Seven Restaurants, has filed a motion for a new trial. In its filing, the company said Tulecki presented "virtually no evidence" to the claim that the store's manager is aware of the so-called "foreign substance" that caused the slip and fall injuries. The company further said that the compensation of $7.8 million is "clearly excessive."

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