Plaintiff Can't Add Deep Pockets to Stadium Dram Shop Retrial

New Jersey Law Journal via Yahoo Finance ^ | 4/6/07 | Lisa Brennan

[chet_in_ny]

A plaintiffs lawyer attempting to recoup his losses after reversal of a landmark $105 million dram shop verdict will not be able to add new corporate defendants in the retrial of the case.

A Bergen County, N.J., judge ruled on Wednesday that there was no basis to join Aramark Corp., the parent company of the Giants Stadium food and beverage concessionaire that allegedly served alcohol to a drunken fan in the hours before he crashed into a family's minivan.

Retrial is to begin on July 23 in the case of Antonia Verni, who at age 2 was left paralyzed in the crash.

The addition of Aramark and its direct subsidiary, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Group Inc., would have allowed plaintiffs lawyer David Mazie to tell the jury that the defendants are part of a $5 billion corporation.

Instead, the defendants at retrial will be the same as in the first: Aramark sub-subsidiaries Harry M. Stevens Inc., which runs the beverage stands at the stadium, and Aramark Services Management of New Jersey Inc., which supplies workers.

[chet_in_ny]

Sad story and interesting lawsuit. When this case was first tried before a jury, the jury award was one of the highest ever in NJ.

This story is an obvious attempt by the plaintiff's lawyer to get more deep pockets involved.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Pepople get drunk at Giants games? Why not sue the NFL?

[chet_in_ny]

The NFL settled with the girl:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20050123/ai_n9497786

[Paleo Conservative]

So why didn’t they sue Aramark in the first trial?