A Virginia woman is seeking $1.5 million from Outback Steakhouse after filing an outback steakhouse slip fall case that accuses the chain of allowing mashed potatoes to remain on the floor of a Sterling restaurant and cause a serious fall. Tracy J. Renshaw, 56, says the lawsuit stems from an incident on May 14, 2023, while she was dining with her family and walking to the restroom.
The complaint says Renshaw stepped on a slippery substance that appeared to be mashed potatoes and fell face-first onto the hard flooring. She says the restaurant had a legal duty to keep the premises safe and warn customers about hazards, but no warning was posted and the spill was left in place for an unreasonable amount of time. Her filing says the condition was unreasonably dangerous and that the restaurant was negligent in failing to address or remove it.
The size of the demand gives the case its weight. Renshaw’s complaint says she has lived with significant pain, reduced ability to work and ongoing medical costs since the fall, though it does not spell out detailed medical injuries. The case was first filed in Loudoun County Circuit Court in May 2025 and was moved to federal court on May 27, 2026, putting the dispute back in motion under a different judge.
Outback Steakhouse denies the allegations. The company says it had no notice of any hazardous condition, had no obligation to post a warning about the alleged spill and disputes the extent of Renshaw’s injuries. That leaves the central question unresolved: whether the restaurant knew, or should have known, about the spill before the alleged fall.
The lawsuit is now an active premises-liability fight over notice, warning and responsibility, and the next step will turn on what the court does with the case as it moves forward.
