Housekeeping – Restaurants Fatality File

William Kidd slipped and fell as he was leaving the bathroom of an El Pollo Loco restaurant in Bakersfield, California. William allegedly suffered a tear of the quadricep tendon of his right knee and a traumatic brain injury as a result of the fall. William filed a personal injury lawsuit against the El Pollo Loco restaurant. The lawsuit alleged that the restaurant cooks were cleaning the grills, which resulted in the slippery substance on the floor. The lawsuit further alleged that the grills take up to three hours to clean, but because the restaurant only scheduled workers one hour after closing, the workers were forced to start cleaning while the restaurant still had customers present. After a short trial, a California jury found that the restaurant was negligent. It awarded William more than $16 million in damages.