Applebee’s Settles Drunk Driving Lawsuit Alleging It Sold Driver 23 Alcoholic Drinks In Two Hours

CBS News in Dallas reported that the family of Abdallah Khader, now six years old, has settled their intoxication liability lawsuit against Applebee’s less than one week before trial. The amount of the settlement is confidential, but it presumably in the millions of dollars given the catastrophic injuries suffered by Abdallah.

According to CBS, Stewart Richardson, who had seven prior DUIs, rear-ended the Khader family as they sat stopped at a red light. The impact of the crash left Abdallah Khader, with severe brain damage, and he now requires around-the-clock care. Tests showed Richardson had a blood alcohol level over three times the legal limit. According to a press release, Richardson’s receipt from the Applebee’s restaurant & bar showed that he was served more than 23 alcoholic beverages over the course of two hours.

Most states, including Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, have “dram shop” laws under which restaurants and bars are legally responsible for the consequences of drunk driving accidents, including both injuries to the driver and to passengers or people in other vehicles, if they continued to serve the drunk driver once they were already “visibly intoxicated.” A person who has had 23 alcoholic drinks in two hours, and has a BAC at three times the legal limit, will have long since showed signs of visible intoxication, such as on this website by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which mentions:

• Loud speech
• Drinking alone
• Drinking too fast
• Slurred speech
• Ordering doubles
• Stumbling

It’s hard to imagine someone even consuming 23 alcoholic beverages in two hours – roughly a drink every five minutes – without drinking quickly and ordering doubles. It’s no surprise Applebee’s settled the case, considering that they likely had no credible defense to the allegations.

If you or a loved one were injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, contact the drunk driving lawsuit attorneys at The Beasley Firm for a confidential consultation about your legal rights.