An Athens woman filed a lawsuit on Jan. 30 against The J Bar and its owner for being negligent and overserving a man who allegedly hit the woman with his car.
Julie T. Evanosky is alleging in the Athens County Common Pleas Court that J Bar, 41 N. Court St., violated an Ohio law on Feb. 19, 2018, when a bartender allegedly overserved Samuel David Conner, who then hit Evanosky with his Hummer H3 while she was bicycling on Columbus Road.
The lawsuit claims that J Bar served Conner, who was described as “visibly intoxicated,” alcoholic beverages.
Evanosky is also suing J Bar’s owner, David E. Cornwell, for being “negligent” in training or supervising his employees, according to the lawsuit.
Evanosky is suing over Ohio’s Dram Shop Act, which is designed to hold liquor permit holders responsible for injuries and deaths.
Evanosky was launched into a ditch by the side of the road with life threatening injuries, according to the lawsuit. She had a concussion, a serious dent or laceration in her head and multiple other injuries that required surgeries.
Evanosky was flown to a hospital in Columbus after she was found.
Conner was drinking at various bars on Court Street before he allegedly hit Evanosky.
Conner went to J Bar, which is near where he parked his car, and had several more drinks, according to the lawsuit.
J Bar has a local reputation for excessive and underage drinking, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit cites a post on Reddit about how J Bar was listed as a freshman bar, meaning that it is easy for underage students to get into the bar, according to the lawsuit.
While at the bar, Conner drank a beer and two liquor shots at around 8 p.m. When he ordered his second shot, the bartender also gave him a non-alcoholic drink, according to the lawsuit, which cites security footage.
Conner then left the bar and drove at a high speed toward Columbus Road.
The damages will be established at trial, according to the lawsuit.
