BOCA RATON, FL — The Boca Raton is facing a civil negligence lawsuit in Palm Beach County after a Deerfield Beach resident alleged that algae buildup on a wooden bridge at the resort's golf club caused a slip and fall that resulted in serious injuries, according to a newly filed complaint.
The lawsuit was filed June 26, 2026 in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County by plaintiff Jamie Gaut. The case is styled Jamie Gaut v. Boca Owner LLC d/b/a The Boca Raton a Delaware Limited Liability Company, FLB Hospitality Corp., Case No. 502026CA007224XXXAMB. Court records show the complaint was assigned to Division AA.
According to the complaint, Gaut was an invitee at The Boca Raton on April 2, 2025, and was lawfully on the property at 501 E Camino Real in Boca Raton. The filing alleges that while traversing the golf course, Gaut slipped and fell on a wooden bridge due to what the complaint describes as an accumulation of algae that created "an unreasonably hazardous walking surface."
The lawsuit alleges Gaut suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the fall, including pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, hospitalization and medical expenses, aggravation of a pre-existing condition, lost wages, and loss of future earning capacity. The complaint states the losses are either permanent or continuing.
Two counts of negligence are pleaded, one against Boca Owner LLC and one against FLB Hospitality Corp. The complaint identifies both entities as owners, operators and managers of the property, with FLB Hospitality Corp. listed as a Florida profit corporation and Boca Owner LLC listed as a foreign limited liability company authorized to do business in Florida.
According to the complaint, each defendant owed a non-delegable duty to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition and to warn invitees of slippery and transitory foreign substances. The lawsuit alleges the defendants knew or should have known about the algae and slippery organic material on the bridge, failed to timely inspect or clean it, failed to provide adequate slip resistance or anti-slip treatment on the wooden surface, and failed to warn Gaut of the condition.
The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $50,000, the jurisdictional threshold for circuit court cases in Florida. Gaut is also seeking costs and any other relief the court deems appropriate. A jury trial has been demanded on all issues triable by right.
Gaut is represented by Zachary M. Cohen of Cohen Law Florida, PLLC in Fort Lauderdale, and Willie F. Reynolds of Reynolds Law Firm, PLLC in Boca Raton.
The filing reviewed by Boca Post does not include a response from either defendant. The allegations in the complaint have not been proven, and no judgment or finding of liability has been entered. The case remains pending in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
Civil cases are filed daily in Palm Beach County courts. Boca Post documents many of those filings in its Boca Raton lawsuits coverage.
