DETROIT – A lawsuit has been filed against two Kentucky bars who are accused of over-serving a man who caused a fatal wrong-way crash that killed an entire family on I-75 in January.
Relatives of the Abbas family, a family of five who were killed in the crash, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against two Kentucky bars/restaurants who allegedly over-served the drunk driver, Joey Lee Bailey, as well as on the estate of Joey Lee Bailey.
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The Lawsuit was filed in Fayette Circuit Court against Horseshoes Kentucky Grill & Saloon in Lexington, Roosters Wings in Georgetown, the estate of Bailey and other defendants.
“For the surviving family members, as well as for their many friends left behind, the nightmare and grief caused by that crash will never go away,” said Greg Bubalo, an attorney representing the Abbas family.
“By filing the lawsuit, the family hopes to hold those responsible accountable and ensure that this type of tragedy does not occur to another family. This is a second time fatalities have been alleged to have resulted from over-serving alcohol by Horseshoes.”
According to the Lexington police investigative report, Bailey was served at least two 22-ounce beers and three double White Russians at Roosters. He then drove to Horseshoes, where he was also served at least one beer and four additional double White Russians.
After leaving Horseshoes, he drove southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate-75 for about six miles before killing the Abbas family in a head-on, wrong way crash.
The complaint alleges that Bailey was served drinks, despite obvious signs of his intoxication. Bailey’s blood alcohol level was .306 – over three times the legal limit – according to a toxicology report from the Fayette County Coroner’s office.
42-year-old Issam Abbas, and Issam's wife, 38-year-old Rima Abbas, along with their three children were killed on Jan. 6, in a crash on I-75 in Lexington, Kentucky. The couple and their children -- 14-year-old Ali Abbas, 13-year-old Isabella Abbas and 7-year-old Giselle Abbas -- were headed home from a vacation in Florida.
The family lived in Northville, Mich., but had deep ties to the city of Dearborn.