For one Outback Steakhouse customer, the mashed potatoes came at an additional cost and were apparently best served on the floor.
A Virginia woman has filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against the Australian-themed restaurant chain, claiming she slipped on mashed potatoes inside a restaurant and fell face-first onto the floor, suffering serious and permanent injuries.
Tracy Renshaw, a resident of Loudoun County, VA, alleges that while enjoying a meal with her family in May of 2023, she stepped on a “slippery foreign substance” that appeared to be mashed potatoes, while on her way to the restroom. According to the lawsuit, the presence of the buttery, potato-like substance created a dangerous environment for patrons. She further argued that the restaurant failed to warn customers of the hazards caused by the unsafe condition.
Calling the event “unreasonably dangerous,” Renshaw claims to have suffered enormous pain both psychologically and physically and will continue to experience pain. She also claims that her working capacity has been impacted, and mounting hospital and doctor bills, some already incurred, and anticipates more in the future.
The suit does not explicitly state the injuries Renshaw sustained or the amount of medical charges, but the restaurant has denied the allegations while the case is ongoing. Outback argued that it was unaware of the hazardous condition, according to its response, and therefore had no obligation to post a warning about the alleged spill. It also disputed claims about the extent of Renshaw’s injuries and about her partial fault in the incident.
The restaurant requested a dismissal, though this is not the first time a customer has sued for negligence.
In October 2018, Desmond Jones and his family were celebrating a birthday at an Outback Steakhouse in Illinois when a glass mug full of water shattered on the table after the server reportedly placed it down. The glass “severely cut Jones’s left index finger,” requiring him to undergo surgery and other medical treatment. Jones also filed suit with the judge ruling that the failure of Outback to identify a defective mug before serving it “was not a one-time mistake, but rather a broader failure tied to the restaurant’s pattern of conduct.”
Other incidents include a South Carolina woman was awarded $315,000 after she said she ingested a metal bristle embedded in a chicken dish, requiring emergency surgery, another South Carolina case involving a customer who allegedly swallowed a shard of glass that was in a sweet potato dish, as well as an Oregon lawsuit in which a diner claimed he cracked two molars after biting into broken pieces of a plate mixed into his food according to USA Today. There was also a suit in Florida of a man who sustained injuries after a toilet shattered and broke beneath him.
In November, Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, identified underperforming restaurants, with stock prices plunging 40%. The company announced it was initiating a “comprehensive turnaround strategy” to close over 22 Outback locations over the next four years as leases expire.
Whether the potatoes were truly to blame remains to be seen. For now, the case remains pending — leaving a Virginia jury to decide whether the mashed potatoes were merely a side dish or a million-dollar main course.
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