Major Car Wash Company Accused Of Violating Florida’s Coercion Statute.
BOYNTON BEACH, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A local car wash is facing a lawsuit after Lifny Castillo Martinez, a former employee, alleged she was fired and blocked from returning to work specifically because of an ongoing workers’ compensation claim. The complaint, filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court and obtained by BocaNewsNow.com, accuses El Car Wash, LLC, of violating Florida’s “Coercion Statute,” which protects workers from retaliatory discharge after they seek benefits for on-the-job injuries.
According to the filing, the trouble began for Martinez in May 2023 when a vehicle struck her while she was working as a “finisher” at the Boynton Beach location. The impact allegedly caused significant injuries that required her to undergo surgery and take an extended leave of absence to recover. While Martinez had been with the company since June 2020 and maintained a satisfactory performance record, her transition back to the workplace was reportedly anything but smooth.
The lawsuit claims that when Martinez was medically cleared to return to her position in January 2024, her supervisor, Tiago, dropped a bombshell: she had already been terminated. Despite being told to re-apply for her old job, Martinez alleges she was later informed that her supervisor had received orders from upper management not to re-hire her. The reason given, according to the suit, was her active and valid workers’ compensation claim stemming from the car accident.
Represented by the Law Offices of Levy & Levy, Martinez is now seeking back pay, interest, and damages for emotional distress. The suit asks the court to declare the company’s actions a violation of state law and to provide compensation for the benefits she would have received if she hadn’t been let go. El Car Wash has not yet filed a response.
