Attorneys for the family of a 25-year-old Bridgeport man who fell to his death from an Old East Dallas bar say it was overcrowded and understaffed and that the rooftop railing was unsafe, according to a court filing this week.
Christopher Hill’s family filed a request for a temporary restraining order against 77 Degrees, the bar where he celebrated St. Patrick’s Day before he fell from the third floor and died March 12, according to the petition reviewed by The Dallas Morning News. The document was filed in Dallas County District Court on Monday.
“He was a hard-working, caring, pretty cautious young man, who from all accounts was not out of control that night, was just having a safe good time with friends and his girlfriend,” said Michelle Simpson Tuegel, an attorney for his family.
She said written requests to access the property in the 2100 block of North Henderson Avenue weren’t granted, which led to the temporary restraining order request.
But before a Tuesday hearing, attorneys for both sides came to an agreement about access to the property.
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An attorney representing 77 Degrees said the first time the bar received a communication from a representative of Hill’s family was on Monday, when it was served the petition.
“The owners and employees of 77 Degrees offer their condolences to Mr. Hill’s family. This was a tragic loss of life,” attorney Dave Wishnew said in a written statement on behalf of the bar.
The filing says the bar “failed to exercise ordinary care” and that its negligence caused Hill’s death. It asked a court to prevent the bar and its owners from modifying the railings on the bar’s rooftop or any surveillance video that captured Hill’s fall.
But Wishnew said in the statement that the bar was cooperating with attorneys and law enforcement. He said the bar wasn’t negligent and employs a dedicated and well-trained staff that includes security personnel like off-duty police officers.
He also said the bar is following all city codes and has passed inspection.
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In a separate matter, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission last week began an investigation into 77 Degrees. Businesses licensed with the TABC are required to report incidents like death and serious bodily injury to the commission as soon as possible.
The bar, which opened in 2019 in Dallas, serves $12 cocktails amid wooden accents and white-cushioned furniture. It’s the bar’s third location in Texas, along with spots in Houston and Austin.
Bettina Hill, Christopher Hill’s mother, told The News that her son had a larger-than-life personality and was irreplaceable.
She said she wants to ensure others don’t meet the same fate as her son.
“A day of fun shouldn’t have turned into what it did,” she said, “and he wouldn’t want that for any other family to have to go through what we’re going through.”
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March 23, 2022 at 01:55AM
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Dallas rooftop bar where man fell to his death was crowded, understaffed, petition says - The Dallas Morning News
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