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A Virginia woman is seeking $1.5 million in damages from Outback Steakhouse after alleging she slipped on mashed potatoes and suffered serious injuries inside one of the chain’s restaurants.
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Tracy J. Renshaw filed a complaint over an alleged slip-and-fall incident that took place on May 14, 2023, at an Outback Steakhouse in Sterling, Virginia.
The case was originally filed in the county circuit court on March 5, 2025, before Outback Steakhouse requested its removal to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on May 27, 2026.
Renshaw’s complaint states that she was walking to the restroom when she slipped on a “slippery foreign substance, which appeared to be mashed potatoes” and fell face-first onto the restaurant floor.
Woman claims mashed potatoes created dangerous conditions
According to the complaint, the alleged substance created an “unreasonably dangerous condition for visitors” and caused Renshaw to suffer “serious and permanent injuries.”
The lawsuit alleges there were no warning signs alerting customers to the hazard and claims the restaurant failed to maintain a safe environment for guests.
Renshaw accused the restaurant of negligence, alleging employees allowed the substance to remain on the floor for an unreasonable amount of time, failed to inspect and maintain the area, and did not warn customers about the potential danger.
The complaint further states that she suffered physical injuries, emotional distress, reduced working capacity, and incurred medical expenses as a result of the fall.
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Outback Steakhouse disputed the allegations in a response included within its May 27 filing.
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The restaurant denied claims that a dangerous substance was present on the floor and rejected allegations of negligence. The company also stated that it “can neither admit nor deny” allegations regarding the operation of the Sterling location, which it said should therefore be construed as denied.
The chain additionally argued that there was no duty to post a warning and denied that Renshaw suffered the extent of injuries alleged in the complaint.
Outback also raised defenses, including assumption of risk and contributory negligence, arguing that any condition like the one described would have been “open and obvious” to a customer exercising ordinary care.
The Sterling Outback Steakhouse location referenced in the lawsuit is now listed online as permanently closed.
This isn’t the first lawsuit to target Outback Steakhouse over an alleged accident inside one of its restaurants. In late 2025, a Florida man sued the chain after claiming a toilet in a handicap-accessible restroom stall ‘shattered and collapsed’ beneath him, alleging the incident caused serious injuries and permanent bodily harm.
