Fast Food Restaurant Customer Injured in Slip and Fall

This case takes place in Florida and involves injury at a self-service dining venue in a fast food restaurant. On the date of the incident, a customer (the plaintiff) was eating in the the restaurant’s dining area. She was at the beverage station getting a drink when she went back towards the dining area and slipped and fell, breaking her leg. The beverage station did have a carpeted surface, but that surface transitioned abruptly into a tiled surface. The plaintiff seeks an expert who has a managed a self-service dining venue and can speak to the safety protocols in place to prevent this type of accident.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Please discuss your background in setting safety standards in self-service dining venues as described in the case summary.

2. What protocols could have been in place to avoid the accident?

3. Have you ever reviewed a similar case? Please explain.

Expert Witness Response E-008457

This case is right in my area of expertise and I am glad to assist. I have 25+ experience in the food industry and have run a number of restaurants with self service beverage stations. I can speak to best practices to prevent injuries like this from occurring. The cruise line should think through what type of flooring has sufficient coefficient of friction to prevent slip and fall. This is especially important for a beverage area where liquids are going to fall. Operationally, there should have been either a person monitoring or doing sufficient checks to make sure that area is clean and safe. I have reviewed many cases regarding restaurant safety before as an expert witness.