Dunkin restaurant is seen in Madrid, Spain on June 27, 2022. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A Florida man is suing Dunkin’ for $50,000, claiming he sustained injuries and became covered in filth when the establishment’s toilet exploded on him.
Paul Kerouac was just enjoying his day like any other Dunkin’ customer when he made use of the restaurant’s restroom at a location in Winter Park, Florida in January 2022.
Unbeknownst to him, the toilet he used was malfunctioning and subsequently detonated, allegedly causing him physical harm.
Per his lawsuit, filed in Orlando on Wednesday (January 4), the eruption was so severe that it not only caused him physical injuries but also left him covered in an unsanitary mess.
The suit further alleges that Dunkin’ was negligent in maintaining its restroom facilities and failed to warn its customers about the potential hazard.
The incident left Kerouac covered in human feces and urine as he confronted one of the staffers about the situation.
According to the court documents, an employee informed him that a “problem with the toilet” had been persisting for a while, as customers had previously lodged complaints about the store’s malfunctioning toilet, per Business Insider.
His complaint further claims that due to Dunkin’s negligence, Kerouac suffered physical pain, mental anguish, humiliation, and loss of capacity for enjoyment of life.
He also mentioned the expenses of medical care and treatment, loss of earnings, and earning capacity as a result of the incident.
“As a direct result of Defendant’s breach and/or multiple breaches of its duties and obligations to Plaintiff, who was lawfully on Defendant’s premises, Plaintiff unwittingly became the victim of the exploding toilet and of the aftermath which followed, and sustained damages, including injuries and emotional and mental distress,” the lawsuit read, according to USA Today.
Dunkin’ had a duty to inform its customers about the issue with the toilet, or at the very least place a sign in the restroom warning them that the restroom facility was out of use.
Furthermore, his lawsuit argues that they should have performed inspections to determine if the toilet posed a safety hazard to customers, especially considering previous complaints.
The trauma that Kerouac endured from the toilet explosion has required him to attend counseling and mental health care, his lawyer, Scott Spradley told PEOPLE.
“We are hopeful that the lawsuit will result in Mr. Kerouac being justly compensated for his injuries, even though the imagery will never be forgotten,” he said.
