Florida Bars Hit With $30.8M For Underage Drinking

Florida Bars Hit With $30.8M For Underage Drinking

Introduction

On Aug 23, 2019, Tallahassee, Fl. jurors hit two Florida bars with a $30.8 million verdict over brain damage suffered by a woman in a hit-and-run case, which was followed after a night of underage drinking.

According to the court documents, the defendant, then 20, left Potbelly’s, a bar near the Florida State University campus, while the victim, then 18, had left Cantina 101, another bar nearby. Seconds after leaving the bar, she was struck by a speeding car driven by the defendant. The collision left the victim with severe brain damage, unable to communicate verbally or take care of herself, whereas the defendant who fled the scene, was arrested and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.

Cantina 101 admitted account for the incident. However, Main Street Entertainment, the owner of Potbelly’s, contended that the defendant was not drunk when he hit the victim.