Dallas County Jury Awards $25 Million in Fatal Dram Shop Crash
A nightclub was sued after a customer they over-served caused a fatal crash. The customer had been drinking heavily at the club before driving at a high speed and crashing. The crash resulted in the death of a passenger. The jury found both the driver and the club liable for the crash.
Case Information Updated: October 2025
About Wrongful Death Injuries
Wrongful death claims arise when a car accident fatality is caused by another party's negligence. These cases compensate surviving family members for their losses and the decedent's pain and suffering.
Case Outcome
- Outcome
- Verdict-Plaintiff
- Amount
- $25,000,000
- County
- Dallas County, TX
- Resolved
- 2018
Injury & Accident Details
- Injury Type
- Wrongful Death
- Accident Type
- Highway
- Case Type
- Dram Shop, Wrongful death, Vehicle complaints
Settlement Context
This verdict-plaintiff of $25,000,000 is above the median of $6,500,000 for wrongful death cases resolved by verdict-plaintiff. The typical range is $800,000 to $15,000,000, based on 34 cases in our database.
Case Overview
A fatal car crash in 2012, which killed a passenger, led to a dram shop lawsuit against a Dallas, Texas, nightclub. The incident occurred shortly after an intoxicated driver, a customer of Beamers Private Club, left the establishment. The driver's Mercedes S60 was traveling 110 mph in a 45 mph zone on an Irving, Texas, highway when it flipped over. The passenger died from injuries sustained in the crash. The driver was later convicted of intoxication manslaughter. Following the crash, the defendant club closed and entered bankruptcy proceedings.
The plaintiff, representing the deceased passenger's estate, filed suit in Dallas County, asserting a dram shop claim against Beamers Private Club. The plaintiff alleged the club had served excessive alcohol to the driver, leading to his severe intoxication, and sought damages for wrongful death. The defendant club disputed liability for the incident.
During the trial, the plaintiff presented evidence that the club had served the driver at least 14 standard alcoholic beverages via "bottle service" and then permitted him to leave while highly intoxicated. Evidence indicated the driver's blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit at the time of the fatal collision.
After five hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict, finding the intoxicated driver 48 percent liable for the crash and the defendant club 48 percent liable. The deceased passenger was found 4 percent at fault. The jury awarded $25 million in damages.
Understanding This Case
- This case went to trial and resulted in a jury verdict. Verdicts can yield higher awards but carry the risk of receiving nothing if the jury rules against the plaintiff.
- This case was resolved in Dallas County, Texas. Local jury tendencies, judge assignments, and regional economic conditions all influence case outcomes in this jurisdiction.
- Resolved in 2018, this case reflects the legal and economic conditions of that period, including medical costs, insurance practices, and jury award trends at the time.
VerdictlyTM Score
This outcome is within expected ranges
This score is calculated by analyzing injury type, accident details, geographic location, temporal trends, and comparing against 2,000+ similar cases in our database.
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