Woman sues social club for overserving alcohol after she severly injured in car crash
By Sunshine Kuhia Smith
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HONOLULU, Hawaii (KITV) — A Honolulu woman filed a lawsuit against the social club, Hawaiian Brian’s for negligence after she claims its employees served the concertgoers an excessive amount of alcohol.
On April 24, 2021, Nicole Johnson and her friends went to Hawaiian Brian’s for a concert and met with 30-year-old Matthew Duran, who claimed he was a DJ.
Duran and his friend invited Johnson and her friends to their table, which she claims was cluttered with many alcoholic beverages. Duran and his friend offered drinks to the woman while Hawaiian Brain’s servers continued to serve the intoxicated group.
Duran invited the Johnson to a Kapolei house party where he said he would perform for her.
Johnson entered Duran’s two-seated 2014 Chevrolet Corvette while Duran drove the vehicle over the speed limit of over 80 mph going westbound on the Moanalua Freeway. Before the Ala Kapuna overpass, the Corvette collided into a concrete freeway divider, with most of the damage on the passenger side where Johnson sat.
Police arrested Duran for driving with a blood alcohol content level of 0.226, above the state’s law of 0.08 percent.
Emergency Medical Services took Johnson to the Queen’s Medical center, where she was diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, hemorrhaging, multiple fractures, and lacerations. She was placed in the ICU because of a ‘central nervous system failure’ and fed through a feeding tube.
Today, Johnson cannot read, write or communicate, and doctors say she will likely need living assistance for the remainder of her life.
The lawsuit claims Hawaiian Brian’s is liable for Johnson’s damages because of the negligence of its employees in serving alcohol to persons clearly intoxicated. In addition, court documents state Hawaiian Brian’s put the public at risk for improperly hiring, training, and supervising its employees and agents.
Documents also include Duran’s ‘breach of duty’ when he drove, exceeding the maximum speed limit, and operating a vehicle under the influence.
Matthew Anthony Duran was arrested Thursday for first-degree negligent injury. He was released on an $11k bail and is scheduled in court on September 15.
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