Two separate slip-and-fall lawsuits filed by local residents against different Publix locations in The Villages were dismissed in Sumter County court recently.
Both cases were filed in the fifth judicial circuit court of Sumter County in March and both were dismissed this month, according to court records.
In the first case, Charlotte Aucutt, who lives in the Village of Hemingway, claimed that she was visiting the Publix at Lake Deaton (695 Kristine Way) on or about May 12, 2022.
During her visit, Aucutt alleged that a “Publix employee grabbed a shopping cart” that she was still holding, causing her to “sustain severe injuries.”
Over the course of several months, attorneys representing Publix Super Markets, Inc., which is the corporation behind the grocery chain, filed a series of answers to interrogatories and responded to requests for production.
Throughout their filings, the business maintained that any alleged injuries or negligence lied solely with Aucutt.
On Oct. 2, attorneys representing Aucutt filed a notice of voluntarily dismissal and the case was closed.
In the second case, Vincy Maysonet, who is a resident of Sumter County, alleges that she was visiting the Publix at Southern Trace Plaza, which is located at 3475 Wedgewood Lane on or about Oct. 18, 2022. During her visit, Maysonet claimed she “slipped and fell” due to the grocer’s negligence.
In a 34-page Motion to Dismiss filed by attorneys on behalf of Publix, the company argued that Maysonet’s complaint did not state a cause of action or “plead any ultimate facts.” In their defense, attorneys stated that Maysonet’s complaint did not specify “where specifically the injury occurred,” how she was injured, or how that injury was “attributable to” Publix.
On Thursday, Oct. 19, the Judge Michelle Morley ordered the dismissal of the amended complaint that Maysonet filed in July.
There are at least a dozen slip-and-fall lawsuits that have been filed against Publix locations within Sumter, Lake, and Marion Counties this year.
