Man Permanently Injured in Fall Blames Waffle House Ad

An 84-year-old Florida man says he tripped and fell outside a Waffle House—and he's blaming a restaurant advertisement for distracting him. In a lawsuit filed in Polk County, Edward Bowlds of Bartow alleges he fell on April 17, 2025, after his attention was drawn to a large window promotion for the limited-edition Strawberry Shortcake Waffle, aimed at people already parked and "approaching on foot," per the Independent. The suit claims the curb he tried to step onto was unusually high, poorly maintained, and unmarked, with no paint to distinguish it from the lot, per WFLA.

Bowlds says he tripped and fell face-first, suffering "severe and permanent" injuries; he's seeking damages, costs and interest, and a jury trial, with his complaint arguing the ad was displayed in such a way "as it unreasonably increases the risk of a trip and fall." It would be "disingenuous for Waffle House to suggest that Mr. Bowlds should have been watching where he was walking when it was Waffle House who distracted his attention away from where he was walking," reads a pre-suit demand letter. Waffle House has not publicly responded. The breakfast chain is also facing a proposed class-action lawsuit from a former server who claims the company's employee health programs unlawfully charge tobacco users an extra $1,104 a year, Bloomberg and Law 360 report.