Charges Dropped Against Man in Bar Fight

A man who was severely injured in a fight and wrongfully arrested at a South Florida bar is filing a lawsuit against the establishment.

When Alex Coelho, his girlfriend and a group of friends decided to go out at a local drinking establishment, they had no idea that the evening would turn into a bar fight. Coelho was attacked outside of Dirty Blondes in Fort Lauderdale Beach back in July.

After a verbal disagreement with one of the bartenders, the party of friends was escorted outside. As the argument continued, Coelho was attacked and beaten by the bouncers. The attack was caught on camera by an uninvolved bystander. From the video footage caught on a smartphone, clearly it was Coelho who was the victim in the incident.

The Florida State Attorney agreed and charges against Coelho have been dropped.

Dirty Blondes posted a statement on their Facebook stating that they regretted the incident. The establishment also fired the bouncers who had been involved in the altercation that night. The bouncers have also been arrested for the attack on Coelho.

Coelho’s attorneys plan on filing a lawsuit against the business.

People go out with friends to enjoy a drink and have some good times out on the town. The owners and managers of bars, restaurants and other business properties that serve alcohol to the public are ultimately responsible for protecting their clientele from any injuries or assaults caused by customers who may be drunk, unruly and have gotten out of hand. Owners and managers and other staff are to be held accountable for providing their patrons with a place that is safe. Bouncers and other staff are also there to keep order in the establishment. Sometimes, however, bouncers and other security staff can be overzealous in enforcing control of a situation. As in this case, sometimes heavy handedness by bouncers can cause serious injuries.

If you or a loved one has been beaten up or injured in a drinking establishment or restaurant, it doesn’t matter if the injuries came from another patron of the establishment or by a member of the staff, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Medical costs, physical therapy or even lost time from work, pain and suffering can all be a factor in your costs. Give our offices a call and we will match with an attorney that can go over the details of your case with you. They will then give you options that you can pursue that may get you the compensation you are entitled to. An initial consultation with one of our lawyers is confidential and without cost or obligation to you.