The car crash that nearly claimed Charlie Davies' life in 2009 surely still affects the D.C. United forward to this day. The incident, which happened nearly two years ago to the day when a woman Davies was with crashed while driving intoxicated on the George Washington Parkway, caused one passenger to die and led to Davies suffering serious injuries that detoured his professional career. Now, actions by Davies and his legal team have brought that incident back into the public eye.
The D.C. United forward has filed a $20 million lawsuit against Das Enterprises, which owns the nightclub Shadow Room that Davies was at that night, and Red Bull, the host of the private event, according to Steven Goff of the Washington Post. The reason? The club served alcohol to driver Maria Alejandra Espinoza even though she "became visibly intoxicated."
"There is nothing that can restore the lost opportunity Charlie Davies had of representing the United States in the World Cup," said Jon Pels, Davies’s Bethesda-based attorney. "It is a testament to his strength and athleticism that he is playing soccer again.
"This is yet another example of how drinking and driving can kill and injure. Bars must accept responsibility when overseeing an event such as this."
Obviously, Davies has suffered a lot of pain from the accident, but this lawsuit still feels frivolous. Sure, the bar could be more responsible, but so should Davies and Espinoza. In the end, the bar and the company will probably settle to avoid litigation and this thing will go away, but something about this rubs me the wrong way.