Casino Sued for $75M Over Man's Drinking Death
A $75 million casino drinking lawsuit blames employees for causing a gambler's death by serving him too much alcohol despite pleas by the man's relatives.
Bryan Lee Glenn, 30, originally of Long Beach, Miss., was found dead in the bathroom of his hotel room at the IP Casino Resort and Spa in Biloxi, Miss., in 2009, the Associated Press reports. Glenn's death occurred after a night of gambling and heavy drinking.
While that may be common casino behavior, casino workers crossed a line by encouraging Glenn to get wasted, and even interfering with family members who tried to stop employees from serving him drinks, the lawsuit by Glenn's relatives asserts.
At one point, Bryan Lee Glenn was "falling down drunk" at a blackjack table, and relatives "begged the casino to stop serving him," the AP reports.
Instead of adhering to Glenn's relatives' wishes, a casino worker allegedly shot back, "He's old enough to make his own decisions," the casino lawsuit states.
When relatives finally convinced Glenn to leave, a dealer allegedly pointed out he still had chips and said, "Aren't you going to come back and play?"
Glenn did come back.
Later that same night, Glenn's relatives say they again implored a bartender to stop serving him alcohol, to no avail. He was later escorted out of the casino by security, according to the lawsuit. Glenn's mother and brother found him dead on the floor of his hotel bathroom.
The AP's report does not state the casino lawsuit's cause of action, but the facts seem to suggest a case of negligence. To win, Glenn's relatives' wrongful death lawyer would have to prove the casino breached a duty of care by serving him alcohol when he was clearly too drunk, and that the breach caused Glenn's death.
The IP Resort, owned by Boyd Gaming Corp., has yet to respond to the casino suit. In its defense, the company may allege Bryan Lee Glenn himself was negligent in drinking too much -- especially as the lawsuit claims he'd also been taking prescription painkillers and antipsychotic drugs. A casino spokeswoman declined to comment to the AP.
Related Resources:
- Suit blames Miss. casino for gambler's death after drinking (USA Today)
- Legionnaires Death Linked to Las Vegas Luxor (FindLaw's Injured)
- Baylor Frat Sued for Teen's Binge Drinking (FindLaw's Injured)
- Browse Wrongful Death Lawyers by Location (FindLaw)