D.C. United forward Charlie Davies surprised many by filing a lawsuit against the Shadow Room nightclub and Red Bull stemming from an incident in 2009 that led to the car crash that severely injured Davies and killed one of the passengers in his car. Davies' driver was intoxicated then. Davies is looking for $20 million in damages because he claims the nightclub and Red Bull, who hosted the party, continued to serve Davies' driver even though she was visibly drunk.
Davies' lawyer Jon Pels explained the lawsuit to Steven Goff of the Washington Post:
"We believe the facts will show, among other things, that Mr. Davies had no interaction with the driver at the Shadow Room and was in a separate room. Without getting into detail, as he was leaving, the driver asked if she and her friend could give him a ride to his hotel. In the hustle and bustle of the lobby as he was walking out -- a split-second decision — he said yes. There was no meaningful time in which Mr. Davies had an opportunity to ‘observe’ the driver; he had no knowledge what she had been drinking or whether she had been drinking. This is to be contrasted with what we believe was an ‘open bar’ in a separate room with what the bar (and others) were able to witness over a protracted period. We believe that it should have never gotten to that point and the defendants should not have continued to serve her alcohol and permitted her to drive."
Davies ultimately survived the crash, but suffered severe injuries that slowed his rise as a U.S. soccer star. The incident took place nearly two years ago to the day.
Meanwhile, Goff reports the family of the woman killed in the crash is also filing suit. They are looking for $40 million in damages.
For more on the story, visit Black and Red United.