An accident, tangling a 2005 Infinity G35 with a horse-drawn carriage, led to the death of a well-known local business owner, while injuring his wife and three others. The horse also perished, and the carriage beyond repair. Now the surviving widow has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the alleged drunken driver and the nightclub that served him alcohol, as reported by the Beaumont Enterprise and ABC Local.
The widow, R.M., 46, of Sugar Land, has named the Infinity driver, M.G., and The Lounge Nightlife Complex, located on The Strand in Galveston, as defendants in the lawsuit.
Before the accident on July 21, 2012, both M.G., and his passenger, G.C., allegedly drank alcohol at the Lounge Nightlife. The two were celebrating G.C.'s birthday.
B.M., was also celebrating a birthday, his 57th, when he and his wife chose to take a horse-drawn carriage from The Strand to the Hotel Galvez.
M.G. allegedly rear-ended the carriage at the corner of 21st Street and Avenue L.
B.M. died in the crash and R.M. suffered a cut on her scalp and enough bone fractures that she's had to undergo physical therapy. Also injured was J.H., 26, the carriage operator and H.V., 18, another passenger.
G.C. was injured in the Infinity.
Houston-based attorney S. Scott West, in representing R.M., said, "(R.M.) just got out of the hospital and she's had to undergo rehabilitation. She still hasn't buried her husband. Her son had to tell her the next day that he had died. The last thing she remembers is him laughing and cutting up with the carriage driver."
M.G. "is liable and accountable for the injuries, death and damages", according to the lawsuit, because he was intoxicated, speeding and erratic behind the wheel.
The suit seeks up to $200,000 from M.G. for damages.
Police have also charged M.G. with one count of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault.
According to the suit The Lounge Nightlife is liable "for death and injuries" because "when it was apparent to provider (nightclub) that (M.G.) was intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear danger to himself and others" they continued to sell him alcohol.
Witnesses have placed M.G. on The Strand minutes before the crash, appearing "highly intoxicated."
The president of Island Ventures Inc., which is the owner and operator of The Lounge Nightclub, stated that all of their bartenders must "get their certification that is Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission-approved."
B.M. was the owner of a local flooring shop. Many family members and friends visited the store upon hearing of his death and purchased silent auction items. The sale was meant to offset the loss of the family's patriarch and help keep the store open and running.
The loss of the head of a household can place an immense burden on remaining family members. If you have lost a loved one in a wrongful death scenario contact a personal injury lawyer to file your lawsuit.