A Georgia man who was traveling along the Florida Turnpike during a road trip claims he sustained “significant injuries” after he stopped at a rest stop in Sumter County and allegedly slipped and fell while walking into a temporary bathroom set up during construction.
Attorneys filed the lawsuit on behalf of Kerby Telcy against Areas USA, Inc., Visit Florida, Inc., and the Florida Department of Transportation in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Sumter County on August 6.
According to the complaint, Telcy was traveling along the Turnpike on Aug. 8, 2023. While at a rest stop along the highway in Wildwood, Telcy claims he stopped to use the restroom.
The complaint indicates that there was a “trailer serving as a temporary restroom” due to “ongoing construction.”
As Telcy stepped onto the “mental steps that led to the temporary restroom,” he claims his “feet slid out from beneath him.” As he tried to “brace his fall,” he grabbed the side railing.
According to the complaint, as a result of the fall, Telcy suffered “significant injuries.”
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed to keep the turnpike service plaza safe for visitors. It accuses them of being negligent in multiple ways: failing to maintain and clean the floors and stairs, failing to warn of hazards like water or grime, not conducting timely inspections, and not hiring or training sufficient staff to prevent unsafe conditions.
Telcy’s attorneys argue that water was allowed to accumulate near and on the stairs despite foreseeable heavy foot traffic.
As a result, Telcy says he endured serious injuries, ongoing pain, medical expenses, lost earnings, and permanent impairment — all due to the defendants’ “carelessness and negligence.”
Telcy is seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages, exclusive of legal costs.