Local bar, Hopkins Icehouse, and a teen were named in a lawsuit filed in Miller County, Arkansas last month.
Lawyers Hawley Holman and David Carter filed the suit on behalf of Serena Lindsey. Lindsey alleges she was struck in the head with a beer bottle and rendered unconscious while she visited with friends at Hopkins.
“At approximately 11 :30 p.m. on January 8, 2012, Plaintiff was standing with friends when she heard loud yelling and loud voices from a nearby table. Plaintiff was then violently struck in the head with a beer bottle, thrown by minor defendant, Kaitlyn Richardson, and Plaintiff was rendered unconscious causing her to fall to the floor and hitting her head on either a table or other hard surface on the way to the floor”
The suit names Kaitlyn Richardson, Hopkins Icehouse, owners David Jones and George Dodson, and permit holder Mike Rogers.
According to the complaint Richardson was 17 years old when she allegedly threw the bottle that hit Lindsey.
The complaint alleges, “it is alleged that despite the fact that minor defendant, Kaitlyn Richardson, was a minor, only 17 years of age, and hence well under the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages, alcohol provider defendants, by and through their agents, officers, employees, vice-principals, managers and other referenced in paragraphs 8-11, allowed minor defendant, Kaitlyn Richardson, to enter the premises, subsequently served her alcoholic beverages and allowed her to become intoxicated.”
The complaint alleges the defendants failed to use ordinary care, at a minimum, in the following particulars:
- allowing underage persons to illegally consume alcoholic beverages on the premises
- allowing an underage person to illegally consume alcoholic beverages on the premises and become intoxicated
- failing to educate and train its employees, agents or representatives with respect to enforcing the alcohol beverage laws with respect to serving underage minors
- failing to educate and train its employees, agents or representatives with respect to intervening when patrons on the premises begin to cause disturbances or altercations
- failing to implement and/or enforce policies or procedures regarding the sale of alcohol to underage minors
- failing to implement and/or enforce policies or procedures regarding the sale of alcohol to intoxicated invitee/patrons
- encouraging minor defendant, Kaitlyn richardson, and others similarly situated, to consume excessive amounts of alcohol to such an extent that they become a danger to other invitees/patrons.
- Placing monetary greed over the safety of invitees/ patrons of Alcohol Provider Defendants’ establishment.
- By allowing minor defendant, Kaitlyn Richardson, to negligently throw a bottle of beer intended for another invitee/patron and carelessly and negligently hit Plaintiff with the beer bottle proximately causing Plaintiffs injuries and damages
- Minor defendant, Kaitlyn Richardson, negligently threw a bottle of beer intended for another invitee/patron and carelessly and negligently hit Plaintiff proximately causing Plaintiffs injuries and damages
Lindsey is seeking damages for past and future medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, and lost wages. She is also seeking punitive damages, “in an amount sufficient to punish and deter alcohol provider defendants’ and others like them from such conduct in the future.”
The complaint further alleges that due to the actions of Jones, Dodson, and Rogers the corporate entities should be disregarded.
“It is further alleged that Layin’ Low, Inc. D/B/A Hopkins Icehouse Club and Hopkins Icehouse INC. D/B/A Hopkins Icehouse was nothing more than the alter ego of Incorporators, Organizers, Owners, President, Vice-President, and Secretary David Jones and George Dodson, and Permit Holder, Mike Rogers, and the corporate shells should be ignored and disregarded because the corporate entities have been used and have served as nothing more than a mere tool or business conduit by and for the Incorporators, Organizers, Owners, President, Vice-President, or Secretary David Jones and George Dodson, Permit Holder, Mike Rogers, and alcohol provider defendants, jointly and individually, for their own personal financial gain,” states the complaint.
