The family of a man who was killed by a drunk driver in Panama City Beach, Florida two years ago is now filing a lawsuit against the Applebee's restaurant chain. The family states that Applebee's restaurant served too many drinks to Jason Reid and Mikael Cherry before the men drove away and killed 62-year-old Paul Lenz in an accident, according to Florida Freedom Newspapers.
Mr. Lenz's family has already settled a lawsuit with both Mr. Reid and Mr. Cherry for an undisclosed sum of money. Listed in the lawsuit is not only the Applebee's establishment, but also several employees that had been working the night of the accident on February 18, 2008, according to DUI Attorney.
A similar case recently took place in the state of Arizona, where the family of Jose Rincon Jr. filed a lawsuit against the Tuscon eatery Chuy's Restaurant after a bartender served a woman 10 beers in five hours before the woman decided to drive. The Arizona Daily Star reports that Jose Rincon Jr., 14, died after being struck by a woman who had been excessively drinking. With the help of an Arizona DUI attorney, the Rincon family was able to settle the lawsuit with Chuy's Restaurant for a confidential sum of money.
DUI Attorney Larry Perry who is representing the Lenz family states that because workers at the Applebee's restaurant didn't follow the proper procedures on how to deal with drunken customers, the employees and the establishment should be held partially responsible for the crash. For more information about DUIs, please visit our Related Resources.
Related Resources:
- Phoenix DUI Offender Being Sued For Wrongful Death (Phoenix DUI blog)
- Drunk Driving FAQ (FindLaw)
- Arizona DUI Attorney Directory (FindLaw)
