Brewery To Pay $3.5 Mill Over Alleged Patron Beating

LOS ANGELES, CA — A brewery near downtown Los Angeles agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by two men who alleged they were beaten in 2016 by several security guards, their attorneys said Wednesday.

The most severely injured plaintiff, 26-year-old Jonathan Miron, suffered a traumatic brain injury after his head struck the pavement following an altercation with several bouncers, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed in February 2017 against Arts District Brewing Co.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs, in a statement released Wednesday, said a notice of settlement was filed with Judge Mark Mooney on May 21.

"This resolution is about holding this local establishment accountable for failing to properly train and supervise its employees," said plaintiffs' attorney Boris Treyzon. "These security guards engaged in excessive and unreasonable force and my clients suffered unnecessarily."

Lawyers for the brewery maintained in their court papers that the confrontation took place outside the premises and that the guards involved worked for an independent third party.

On Sept, 18, 2016, Miron and a group of friends, including fellow plaintiff Edyerch Ramirez, met for drinks at the brewery, according to their lawsuit. After leaving the establishment for the night, Ramirez asked to reenter the brewery to use the restroom, but was denied access by a security guard, the suit says. Ramirez left and walked across the street toward a car where he intended to urinate, but before he could unzip his pants, two guards ran toward him, according to the complaint.

Watching a heated discussion between Ramirez and the uniformed guards, Miron grew concerned for his friend and walked toward the car. Meanwhile, the two bouncers ran back into the brewery and brought two or three additional guards back outside and approached the plaintiffs, according to their court papers.

One of the guards punched Miron in the face, causing him to fall backward and and lose consciousness after his head hit the concrete, according to the lawsuit.

The guards also punched and kicked Ramirez in the head, breaking his jaw, the suit stated. His portion of the settlement is $100,000; the rest goes to Miron.

Miron was hospitalized and spent several days in a coma with injuries that included fractured facial bones and bleeding inside his brain. He lost his job and his fiance because of his injuries, said another plaintiffs' attorney, Doug Rochen.

"This settlement will hopefully help Mr. Miron get his life back on track," Rochen said.

City News Service