A relaxing day at a popular tiki bar turned into a nightmare when a woman was struck by a falling coconut, leading to a lawsuit against the establishment. Kimberly R. Ruck filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida, on November 22, 2024, against JAM-TWO LLC and Castaways Bar, LLC, doing business as Square Grouper Tiki Bar.

According to the complaint, on August 11, 2024, Kimberly R. Ruck was enjoying her time as an invitee at the Square Grouper Tiki Bar located at 1111 Love Street in Jupiter, Palm Beach County. While seated outdoors, she was unexpectedly hit on the head by a coconut that fell from one of the palm trees on the premises. The incident resulted in permanent injuries for Ruck. She alleges that both JAM-TWO LLC and Castaways Bar LLC failed in their duty to maintain safe conditions for their patrons. The plaintiff’s accusations include negligence for not observing or removing visible coconuts from their palm trees and placing seating directly under these hazardous trees without warning patrons of potential dangers.

Ruck claims that JAM-TWO LLC had exclusive control over the offending coconut and argues that such an injury would not have occurred if not for their negligence. Similarly, she holds Castaways Bar LLC accountable for failing to ensure safety by neglecting necessary maintenance and warnings about dangerous conditions posed by coconuts hanging above seating areas. Both defendants are accused of breaching their legal duties to provide a hazard-free environment and warn patrons of any known dangers.