HOTEL PAYS $11 MILLION FOR ORDERING DRUNK EMPLOYEE OFF PREMISES AND TO DRIVE HOME ON MOTORCYCLE

 

It was 4:30 am and nearly closing time when our 26 year old client started the process of “cashing out” his bar and restaurant receipts for the night.  As usual, he took the receipts to the office where he would be paid for the night’s work but his manager knew immediately that he was drunk.  Our client had been drinking on company time.  After paying him, his supervisor told him to stay put and not leave.  He needed time to sober up.  Our client agreed.  A few minutes later, however, a more senior supervisor saw that he was drunk and ordered him off the property and told him to go home knowing he would have to ride his motorcycle to get home.  Not wanting to lose his job and concerned about supporting his wife and two young children our client complied.  At about 5 am and much too drunk to drive, our client mounted his motorcycle and took off.  Two minutes later he crashed and sustained a horrible brain injury despite the fact that he had his helmet on.  As a result of the accident, he was immediately rendered an incomplete quadriplegic.  We filed suit against the hotel for negligently ordering a drunk employee to drive drunk and for violating its own written policy that drunk employees “must not” be permitted to drive.  During the discovery process the hotel settled the case for $11,000,000.