A Palm Beach County resident has taken legal action against a major supermarket chain, claiming negligence after a slip-and-fall incident. Gary Lang filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, on February 4, 2025, accusing Publix Super Markets, Inc. of failing to maintain safe premises at one of its stores.
The lawsuit stems from an incident on June 30, 2023, when Lang was shopping at the Publix located at 1538 South Federal Highway in Delray Beach. According to the complaint, Lang slipped on a "foreign transitory substance" while walking to the register and fell as a result. The plaintiff alleges that Publix had a non-delegable duty to ensure its premises were safe for business invitees like himself and failed to fulfill this obligation.
Lang's complaint details several accusations against Publix. It claims that the company neglected its duty by not warning customers about dangerous conditions it knew or should have known existed within its store. Furthermore, Lang asserts that Publix either had actual or constructive knowledge of the hazardous condition or that it existed long enough for the company to have discovered and remedied it through ordinary care.
The allegations include multiple acts of negligence: allowing a hazardous condition to persist, inadequate maintenance and inspection procedures, failure to correct known dangers, lack of proper warnings about slippery flooring near registers, and insufficient employee training on safety protocols. The plaintiff argues these failures directly resulted in his injuries.
Lang is seeking damages for bodily injury described as permanent within a reasonable degree of medical probability. He claims these injuries have led to pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, medical expenses, and other related losses. The lawsuit demands judgment against Publix for damages exceeding the court's jurisdictional limits along with interest and costs associated with the action.
Representing Gary Lang are attorneys Anthony J. Russo Jr., Esq., and Ryan S. Berger from The Russo Firm based in Boca Raton. The case is identified under Case Number 502025CA000987XXXAMB.