A Marion County resident is suing the owners of a local roller-skating rink, alleging that a catastrophic equipment failure on a pair of rented skates caused him to suffer a violent fall.
Ziquarius Porter filed the negligence lawsuit against RSR International, Inc., which does business as Skate Mania, seeking damages in excess of $50,000, exclusive of costs and interest.
The alleged incident took place on or about February 8, 2025, when Porter visited Skate Mania. Although the lawsuit incorrectly lists the location of the business as being along NW 77th Street, the facility is actually located at 5461 SE Maricamp Road in Ocala.
According to the complaint, Porter rented a pair of roller skates upon entering the facility on that day in 2025.
While Porter was skating in an ordinary and foreseeable manner on the rink’s surface, the lawsuit alleges that the front axle and wheel assembly of the rented skates suddenly became loose and mechanically separated.
The sudden and unexpected mechanical failure allegedly caused Porter to lose his balance, causing him to crash “violently” onto the skating rink floor.
The complaint argues that the dangerous condition of the skates was not open or obvious to Porter, and that Skate Mania had knowledge regarding the condition, inspection, and necessary maintenance of their rental inventory.
Porter’s attorney asserts that the defect existed for a sufficient amount of time that the facility’s staff should have discovered and corrected the hazard through reasonable inspection procedures before ever renting the defective equipment to a patron.
In the filing, Porter’s legal counsel claims that Skate Mania breached its legal duty to maintain the skates in a reasonably safe condition, to inspect for dangerous conditions, and to repair known hazards.
The lawsuit demands a trial by jury to determine the full extent of the damages caused by the rink’s alleged failure to protect its patrons from foreseeable harm.
Since 2017, Marion County jail records show that Porter has been arrested on at least ten different occasions. Currently, Porter is being charged with a felony and multiple misdemeanors related to an incident that led to one of those arrests earlier this year.