Daniel Rawls, a Texas man, recently took to court a restaurant in which he was perceivable “too drunk” which he claimed led him to fight with another patron. Not only has he won the case, but he was awarded an astounding $5.5 million in damages.
Rawls claimed that the Mexican eatery La Fogata Mexican Grill over-served him alcohol, leading him to get into an altercation upon leaving. Rawls’ lawyer, Lane Haygood, argued that because the bar staff neglected the drunk patron, it caused him to fall and hit his head. According to the lawsuit, Rawls got into a heated and physical altercation with Robert Henrickson, another drunk customer of the restaurant, in the parking lot. He claimed that the car park was “uneven”, and that it “poses a tripping or falling hazard to intoxicated patrons”, which led him to fall and his hit head, resulting in a “serious and debilitating” injury. In addition to this, the restaurant did not call an ambulance, or police at the time of the fall and/or fight. It was also discovered in court that the bartender (who remains anonymous to reports) was not adequately trained on spotting when customers are overserved.
The owner of La Fogata Mexican Grill was absent from court that day, yet was charged with five claims including premises liability, negligence, and damages arising from foreseeable criminal conduct.
La Fogata Mexican Grill has 30 days to file an appeal if they intend to seek a new trial. Additionally, it is said that Rawls has an alleged history of excessive drinking. The Texas county jail records show he was arrested twice, in February 2019 and May of this year, on charges of public intoxication.
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