Virginia woman sues Outback Steakhouse for $1.5m over mashed potato-related accident

A Sterling, Virginia, woman, Tracy J. Renshaw, has brought a liability lawsuit against Outback Steakhouse. The suit alleges that on May 14, 2023, at an Outback location in Sterling, she slipped on a substance she described as mashed potatoes while walking inside the restaurant

The lawsuit seeks $1.5 million in damages and alleges the restaurant failed to maintain safe walking conditions for customers. Court filings state Renshaw fell after stepping on a slippery substance near a walkway inside the restaurant and did not see any warning signs or cleanup efforts in the area.

The complaint argues that the restaurant staff failed to promptly spot or clean up the substance. This created an unsafe walkway for diners, according to the complaint.

An alleged fall, long lasting effects

According to the lawsuit, the impact left Renshaw with severe injuries, forcing her to incur medical costs and a diminished capacity to work. The filings do not provide detailed public medical records, but they assert that the injuries have had lasting effects.

The complaint explicitly details that Renshaw was walking toward the restroom on Mother’s Day. It says she stepped on the substance and fell face-first onto the restaurant’s hard floor.

Under Virginia premises liability law, Renshaw’s legal team must demonstrate that the restaurant’s management had either actual or constructive notice of the spill. In the legal complaint, her attorneys argue that because the substance was located in a high-traffic employee walkway, staff should have reasonably discovered and removed it promptly.

According to USA Today, Renshaw later filed the lawsuit in May 2025 in a Virginia state court. The case moved to federal court in May 2026 after Outback Steakhouse sought removal from Loudoun County Circuit Court, according to court filings cited in several reports.

The litigation entered a new phase when Outback Steakhouse filed its response in federal court, denying key allegations in court filings. Those included that a hazardous condition existed or that the company had notice of any dangerous substance on the floor.

The company also disputes the extent of the injuries claimed. It has also raised defenses commonly used in slip-and-fall cases, including lack of negligence and contributory fault. The Sterling Outback Steakhouse location referenced in the complaint has since closed. Outback Steakhouse has not issued a public statement beyond its legal filings, and the company continues to operate other locations nationwide. The case remains pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia as both sides prepare for the upcoming discovery phase.