Cincinnati Bar and Bartender Sued for Wrongful Death

Should a bar be held liable when overserving a patron turns to tragedy?

That’s what Deborah Floyd of Cincinnati believes after her husband was struck on his bicycle and killed by a drunk driver coming from Ethel’s Tavern in February.

The driver, Todd Shaw, drank six or seven beers at another bar that morning before going to Ethel’s in the afternoon. There, he was served at least seven more drinks and then sold six cans of beer for the road by bartender Linda Coomer, one of which he opened before walking to his car.

“We think it was a daily occurrence,” said Crandall & Pera Law’s Marc Pera, Mrs. Floyd’s lawyer. “He started his days off at another bar and typically had the equivalent of six or seven drinks at that bar every day. And part of his routine, we believe, was to head from that bar to Ethel’s. This is someone that was well-known to Ethel’s – they routinely served him and, we believe,overserved him time and time again.”

Shaw, who had previously been charged with seven DUI’s, pleaded guilty to the fatal hit and run of Fred Carey.

“People have asked me, ‘What do you want? Do you want Ethel’s shut down?'” said Mrs. Floyd in an interview with WKRC, Local 12. “Well of course I do – but not because it’s just Ethel’s and the particular bar that overserved and resulted in the death of my husband. I want every bar to learn a lesson.”

If you believe your loved one has died as a result of a wrongful death case, call the professionals at Crandall & Pera Law for a free case evaluation. Crandall & Pera Law is available to help answer your questions and guide you in determining your next steps.