Story perspectives

Outback moves $1.5 M mashed-potato slip lawsuit to federal court

6/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Outback Steakhouse filed a removal on May 27, moving Tracy Renshaw’s $1.5 million suit to federal court.
Renshaw, a Virginia resident, alleges she fell on mashed potatoes at the Sterling Outback Steakhouse on May 14 2023.
She claims permanent injuries that limit her ability to work, despite Outback’s assertion that it had no duty to warn of an obvious hazard.
The Sterling location is now closed and is listed under Outback Steakhouse of Florida, LLC.

History

Historical Context

The 1994 Liebeck v. McDonald’s verdict, in which a jury awarded $2.86 million after Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns from coffee spilled in 1992, sparked a national tort-reform debate. That precedent now guides courts evaluating the 2024 Outback Steakhouse claim by Tracy Renshaw, who alleges a mashed-potato slip caused permanent injury.

1 of 2

Story summary

Outback Steakhouse filed a removal on May 27, moving Tracy Renshaw’s $1.5 million suit to federal court.
Renshaw, a Virginia resident, alleges she fell on mashed potatoes at the Sterling Outback Steakhouse on May 14 2023.
She claims permanent injuries that limit her ability to work, despite Outback’s assertion that it had no duty to warn of an obvious hazard.
The Sterling location is now closed and is listed under Outback Steakhouse of Florida, LLC.

1 / 2