A slip-and-fall incident at a popular retail location has led to a lawsuit that raises serious questions about premises safety and accountability. On November 8, 2024, Darlene Pici filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida, against PetsMart, LLC, RCS IWC Holdings, LLC (operating as National Janitorial Solutions and NJS), and Hillstreet Enterprises, LLC. The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of these entities following an incident on April 1, 2024.
The case revolves around an unfortunate event that occurred at a PetsMart store located at 2625 Gulf to Bay Boulevard in Clearwater, Florida. According to the complaint filed by Pici's attorneys from Tripp Law Firm, P.A., she was an invitee at the store when she slipped on a clear liquid near the restrooms. This fall resulted in significant injuries including bruising and contusions affecting her back, body, head, legs, feet, hands, spine, and nervous system. The plaintiff claims these injuries are permanent and have aggravated pre-existing conditions.
Pici accuses PetsMart of failing to maintain their premises in a safe condition and neglecting to warn customers of potential hazards. The complaint states that employees or agents of PetsMart had prior knowledge of the dangerous condition but did not take necessary actions to remedy it or alert patrons like Pici. Similar allegations are made against RCS IWC Holdings under its business names National Janitorial Services and NJS. They were responsible for cleaning services at the location where Pici fell. The complaint suggests they failed in their duty to keep the area safe or provide adequate warnings about potential dangers.
Hillstreet Enterprises is also named as a defendant due to its involvement with janitorial services at the same location. Like the other defendants, Hillstreet is accused of negligence for not maintaining safe conditions or providing warnings about hazards they knew or should have known existed.
The plaintiff seeks damages exceeding $50,000 from each defendant for her physical injuries and emotional distress caused by this incident. She also demands compensation for medical expenses incurred due to her injuries and asserts that these injuries have significantly diminished her quality of life.
Representing Darlene Pici are attorneys George Alan Tripp Jr., Esq., and R. Mark Bortner from Tripp Law Firm based in Seminole, Florida. The case has been assigned Case Number 24-004925-CI under Judge Ken Burke's jurisdiction.