In a gripping legal battle, an employee has accused a prominent investment group of wrongful termination following a workplace injury. The complaint was filed by Royland Ramos Lima in the Circuit Court of the 64th Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County, Florida, on January 28, 2026, against Bridge Investment Group Holdings LLC. Lima claims that his dismissal was a retaliatory act for filing a workers’ compensation claim after sustaining injuries at work.
Royland Ramos Lima alleges that he was employed by Bridge Investment Group Holdings LLC from January 2023 until his termination on January 14, 2026. According to the complaint, Lima suffered significant injuries on March 7, 2025, while performing his duties as a facility maintenance worker. These injuries affected his lower back, groin, testicles, left shoulder, and left leg. Despite reporting these injuries to his supervisor and eventually receiving workers’ compensation benefits after an initial delay by the defendant company, Lima asserts that he faced retaliation in the form of wrongful termination.
The plaintiff argues that his firing violated Section 440.205 of the Florida Statutes (2020), which protects employees from retaliation for claiming workers’ compensation benefits. He contends that Bridge Investment Group Holdings LLC falsely claimed he had exhausted his Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time while under light duty restrictions prescribed by his authorized workers’ compensation doctor. This alleged misconduct not only contravenes state law but also flouts public policy as outlined by the Florida Supreme Court in Smith v. Piezo Technology and Professional Administrators.
As a result of this alleged unlawful action by Bridge Investment Group Holdings LLC, Royland Ramos Lima claims to have suffered extensive damages including loss of income and future earning capacity, emotional distress such as stress and anxiety, loss of life enjoyment capacity, medical expenses for ongoing treatment related to his work injury, and other financial losses. He is seeking compensatory damages for pain and suffering as well as back pay with interest along with any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Represented by Raul De La Heria Jr., from De La Heria & Associates P.A., Lima is demanding a jury trial to resolve these issues. The case is being presided over under Case ID: 26-0005 18-CI in Pinellas County’s judicial system.
Source: 26000518CI_Royland_Ramos_v_Bridge_Investment_Complaint_Pinellas_County_Florida.pdf
