The St. Patrick’s Day Pinky
This was a traumatic event for our client, so she did not have a perfect memory of how it happened.
Case Type: Premises Liability
Result: Confidential Settlement
As in most college towns, the bars and pubs in Manhattan, Kansas throw a big party for St. Patrick’s Day. The bar called Eighteen63 was no exception.
We learned about Eighteen63 when we were approached by a young woman who had been injured there. According to our client, she had gone to the bar around 10 a.m. to participate in a St. Patty’s Day pancake breakfast with her friends. While she was waiting for her food, our client got up to use the women’s restroom. Unfortunately, as she was leaving the restroom, her hand lingered on the door frame, the door slammed shut, and the tip of her pinky finger was severed.
The big question in this case was why did the door slam. For obvious reasons, this was a traumatic event for our client, so she did not have a perfect memory of how it happened. We first attempted to investigate her claim without filing a lawsuit, but Eighteen63 would not answer our letters. That left us no option other than to file a lawsuit. A redacted version of the petition we filed can be viewed here:
After we filed the lawsuit, we were able to do a thorough investigation, and we learned that the bar had received a permit for outdoor seating that day and had propped open both its front and back doors. By doing so, we believed it had created a wind tunnel that caused the bathroom door to slam and hurt our client. Armed with this information, we were able to get Eighteen63 to do the right thing and fund an excellent settlement—we’re required to keep the amount confidential. The settlement allowed our client to pay off her student loans and put this entire, unfortunate incident behind her.
At Riemann Injury Litigation, we do not shy away from hard cases, even where liability is uncertain. To discuss your case, call us at 816-348-3003, or send us a message and we will get in touch with you right away. Initial consultations are always free.
