A Texas mother has sued a restaurant owned by NBA star James Harden for the wrongful death of her daughter in a car crash that killed seven people, including NFL player D.J. Hayden.
Cassaundra Jackson filed the lawsuit in Harris County, which includes Houston, on December 6, according to USA Today. Jackson has accused Harden’s restaurant, Thirteen, of offering excessive alcohol to Christian Herrera, who caused a fatal crash that killed her 30-year-old daughter Taylar Jackson.
Herrera, 25, was driving alone on November 11, 2023, when police say he ran a red light and t-boned an SUV driven by 32-year-old Lauren Robinson-Holliday, local outlet 12 News Now reports. Herrera and Robinson-Holliday were pronounced dead at the scene, while Hayden was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Taylar died on April 29, 2024, after battling critical injuries at a nearby hospital, according to 12 News Now.
Jackson’s lawsuit alleges the restaurant overserved alcohol to Herrera, who was “obviously intoxicated” and "presented a clear danger to himself and others,” USA Today reports.
Police say he had a blood alcohol level of 0.139. She is seeking $1 million in damages under the Texas Dram Shop Act, which states restaurants and other establishments that serve alcohol can be held liable for injuries or property damage caused by a person they served.
She also argues that the restaurant underpays staff, causing them to rely on tips “from large tabs that consistent predominantly of alcoholic sales."
A spokesperson for the restaurant told local outlet KTRK that they are gathering “more information on this filing and will make a more formal statement as soon as possible.”
"We cannot imagine what the family of Taylar Jackson has gone through this past year and offer our deepest sympathies to them and everyone whose lives were deeply impacted by that tragic accident," a spokesperson for the restaurant told KTRK.
The Independent has contacted 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 top 75 players in 2021. He initially opened the restaurant in 2022 before re-opening it in March following four months of renovations. The kitchen is led by award-winning chef Siddartha Cadena, according to local outlet KPRC.
