According to a court document seen by Fox News Digital, a Florida man is suing Dunkin’ Donuts for $50,000, saying that a toilet at one of its stores exploded on him and covered him in pee and feces.
Paul Kerouac, the plaintiff, asserts that the event was traumatizing and that it caused him to endure “sustained severe and long-term injuries.”
The case, which was filed against Dunkin’ franchisee HZ O Donuts LLC on Wednesday in the 9th Judicial Circuit Court, alleges that on January 6, 2022, a toilet at the Dunkin’ Donuts location on Aloma Avenue in Winter Park ruptured, covering Kerouac’s room and surrounding area with “debris, including human feces and urine.”
Kerouac, who lives in northeastern Florida’s Flagler County, is suing the franchisee for negligence and is requesting at least $50,000 in damages. He contends that because there had been previous occurrences involving the toilet, store employees were aware that it was troublesome. This is supported by the lawsuit.
In addition, prejudgment interest, post-judgment interest, costs of actions, and a jury trial are all sought in the case, which was submitted by Flagler Beach lawyer Scott W. Spradley.
According to the lawsuit, Kerouac claimed that the toilet explosion had caused him to experience “bodily injury and psychological damages resulting in pain and suffering, disability, permanent and significant emotional injury, mental anguish, loss of the capacity for the enjoyment of life, expense of medical care and treatment.”
“Plaintiff requires mental health care and counseling as a direct result of the trauma experienced in the restroom at defendant’s business and from the continuing trauma following the event,” the complaint states.
According to the lawsuit, the franchisee owed it to Kerouac and its patrons to keep the restroom and men’s room fairly safe and to alert Kerouac and its patrons to any known dangers or dangerous situations.
The franchisee failed to do so negligently, the lawsuit claims, creating “a dangerous condition to members of the public, including the plaintiff.”
Additionally, it alleges that Kerouac was not aware of the risk since the franchisee carelessly neglected to inspect the men’s restroom and neglected to alert him to its unreasonable danger.