A routine car wash turned into a nightmare when a woman found herself injured and her vehicle damaged, leading to a legal battle against the business responsible. Nancy W. Duggan filed a complaint on January 13, 2025, in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, located in Pinellas County, against Seminole Fuel, LLC.
According to the court documents, Nancy W. Duggan claims that on September 1, 2024, she drove her 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL into an automated car wash operated by Seminole Fuel, LLC in Pinellas County. As directed by the automated signs within the facility, she placed her vehicle in neutral and awaited the cleaning process. However, instead of a routine wash, she was met with loud banging noises and noticed several impact cracks forming on her windshield. In a state of panic and covered with small pieces of glass that caused bleeding injuries, Duggan quickly reversed out of the car wash.
Duggan's lawsuit accuses Seminole Fuel, LLC of negligence for failing to properly inspect and maintain their property and for allowing dangerous conditions to persist without warning or correction. The plaintiff alleges that this negligence directly resulted in both personal injury and property damage. She lists various damages including bodily injury, pain and suffering, disability, mental anguish, disfigurement, inconvenience, physical impairment, loss of enjoyment of life capacity, aggravation of pre-existing conditions or diseases as well as medical expenses related to treatment for her injuries.
In addition to these personal damages, Duggan also claims property damage and repair costs for her vehicle along with loss of use during repairs. The complaint seeks judgment for damages exceeding $50,000 excluding costs from Seminole Fuel LLC and demands a trial by jury. The relief sought includes compensation for all aforementioned damages as well as any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Nancy W. Duggan is attorney V. Joseph Mueller from Abbey Adams Byelick & Mueller LLP based in St. Petersburg Florida while Ken Burke serves as Clerk of the Circuit Court in Pinellas County where this case has been filed under Case Number: 25-000230-CI.