NBA superstar’s restaurant sued over fatal accident that killed seven people, including an NFL player
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NBA superstar’s restaurant sued over fatal accident that killed seven people, including an NFL player

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

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A Texas mother has sued a restaurant owned by NBA star James Harden over the wrongful death of her daughter in a car crash that killed seven people, including NFL player DJ Hayden.

According to USA Today, Cassaundra Jackson filed the lawsuit on December 6 in Harris County, which includes Houston. Jackson has accused Harden’s restaurant Thirteen of serving excessive alcohol to Christian Herrera, who caused a fatal accident that killed her 30-year-old daughter Taylar Jackson.

Herrera, 25, was driving alone on November 11, 2023 when, according to police, he ran a red light and hit an SUV driven by 32-year-old Lauren Robinson-Holliday, local news outlet 12 News Now reports. Herrera and Robinson-Holliday were pronounced dead at the scene, while Hayden was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

According to 12 News Now, Taylar died on April 29, 2024 after battling serious injuries at a nearby hospital.

Jackson’s lawsuit accuses the restaurant of overserving alcohol to Herrera, who was “obviously intoxicated” and “posed a clear danger to himself and others,” USA Today reports.

According to police, he had a blood alcohol level of 0.139. She is seeking $1 million in damages under the Texas Dram Shop Act, which says restaurants and other establishments that serve alcohol can be held liable for injuries or property damage caused by a person serving them have.

James Harden's restaurant first opened in 2022 before reopening in March following renovations

James Harden’s restaurant first opened in 2022 before reopening in March following renovations (Getty Images)

She also argues that the restaurant underpays staff, resulting in it relying on tips “that come from large tabs consisting predominantly of alcoholic beverages.”

A spokesperson for the restaurant told local station KTRK that they are “gathering more information regarding this filing and will issue a more formal statement as soon as possible.”

“We cannot imagine what Taylar Jackson’s family has been through over the past year and extend our deepest condolences to them and everyone whose lives were deeply affected by this tragic accident,” a spokesperson for the restaurant told KTRK.

The Independent has reached out to Jackson and Thirteen for comment.

Harden is a star shooting guard for the Los Angeles Clippers and was honored as one of the NBA’s 75 best players in 2021. He initially opened the restaurant in 2022 before reopening it in March after four months of renovations. According to local outlet KPRC, the kitchen is led by award-winning chef Siddartha Cadena.

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