A resident of The Villages has filed a lawsuit against Publix, claiming an employee’s negligence during a grocery assist caused her to fall face-first onto the pavement.
The complaint was filed on February 17, 2026, in the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of Marion County on behalf of Eileen Donnelly.
According to the filing, the alleged incident occurred on February 29, 2024, at the Publix located at 8780 SE 165th Mulberry Lane in Mulberry Grove.
Donnelly claims that after checking out, a Publix employee offered to help her take her groceries to her vehicle. As Donnelly exited the store with the employee, the two began navigating a ramp toward the parking lot.
The complaint claims the employee was holding the front of the cart while Donnelly held the handle. It alleges that, without warning, the employee suddenly began to pull the grocery cart forward, causing it to accelerate down the ramp.
Donnelly alleges that she yelled for the employee to stop because she could not walk fast enough to keep up. She says the employee continued to pull the cart away from her and, as a result, she was pulled forward.
The fall left her to crash “face first onto the pavement,” according to the complaint.
Donnelly alleges she suffered permanent injuries to her extremities and constant pain following the fall. The suit further states that the resulting physical handicap now prevents her from living independently as she had prior to the incident.
Donnelly’s attorneys argue that the employee was negligent by pulling the cart while facing away from Donnelly and failing to monitor her pace. Furthermore, the they accuse Publix of failing to adequately train staff on how to safely assist customers with their carts.
Donnelly is seeking more than $80,000 in compensatory damages, exclusive of interest and costs, and has requested a trial by jury.