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Killed student’s kin sues resto
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Posted on Sep 07 2005
A Korean man has sued a Saipan restaurant for allegedly serving alcoholic drinks beyond 2am to a group of students who later figured in a road mishap that killed his niece.
Sung Young Lee represented the deceased student, Jung Soon Lee, in filing a civil action against Dong Guk Corp. at the Superior Court.
The company operates the Seafood House/Han Kuk Ban Jeon Restaurant in Chalan Kanoa.
Lee’s attorney, Victorino Torres, said in a complaint that the restaurant continued to operate and serve alcoholic beverages to the students beyond 2am on Aug. 2, 2004, despite a law prohibiting it to do so.
“[The restaurant] knew that Gyu Jin Kim, one of its customers, was apparently intoxicated but continued to serve alcoholic beverages well after 2am,” Torres said.
According to the complaint, the students left the establishment at around 3am. The group drove to a karaoke bar, but the establishment was closed.
Later, the car driven by Kim rammed into a tree on Beach Road in Susupe. Police said Kim was driving the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
Torres accused the restaurant of breaching its duties to stop serving alcoholic beverages after 2am. Torres also said that the defendant failed in its duty to deny service of alcoholic beverages to apparently intoxicated individuals, including Kim.
Lee asked the court to assess monetary damages against the restaurant in compensation for his niece’s medical and funeral expenses, bodily injuries and lost earnings, besides punitive damages for the pain, suffering, mental anguish and emotional distress experienced by the student before she succumbed to death.
