Not good…
A visitor to Nashville apparently left with more than a hangover after claiming a bouncer at a Broadway bar left him unconscious and with a concussion while celebrating a family member’s birthday.
A man from England has filed a $30 million lawsuit against Lucky Bastard Saloon after claiming that he was assaulted by bouncers during a night out in Nashville last year. The lawsuit, filed in Davidson County Circuit Court, claims that back on October 5, 2025 the man was celebrating his dad’s 60th birthday in Music City with his family when he climbed on a table at the bar to dance with other patrons.
According to the complaint, which has been reviewed by Whiskey Riff, the man says a bouncer came up to him “without warning” and put him in a “bear hug” before tossing him onto the sidewalk outside the bar and knocking him unconscious.
He was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment and suffered serious nose injuries, but later that day while at his father’s birthday brunch the man says he collapsed and was ultimately diagnosed with a concussion from the incident.
The man says that he not only suffers from ongoing mental health issues but also may need surgery for ongoing issues with his septum. And the lawsuit claims that the bouncers did not have the proper training required under Dallas’s Law, a law that was passed in 2023 and named after another man who died after being assaulted by security at a Broadway bar.
Back in 2023, 22-year old Dallas Barrett was killed after being restrained by security staff at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, which is run by Arizona-based Riot Hospitality.
Video released by the bar showed Barrett punching a security guard before six guards jumped on top of him. During the altercation, Barrett can be heard telling the security guards that he couldn’t breathe, but they remained on top of him until police arrived.
Police said at the time that by the time they arrived on the scene, Barrett was unresponsive and transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
A medical examiner’s report ruled Barrett’s death a homicide, with the cause of death listed as asphyxia.
Following an investigation, seven men were indicted for Barrett’s death, including six employees of Whiskey Row. The seventh, Steven John Simon, was a patron of the bar and member of the Marines who helped security hold Barrett’s legs during the altercation. Simon had previously worked security at other bars downtown.
All seven were indicted by a grand jury on charges of reckless homicide and aggravated assault causing death. Earlier this year, Simon plead guilty to reckless homicide while a charge of aggravated assault was dismissed. He was sentenced to two years of probation, after which time he is eligible to have his record expunged, under a judicial diversion agreement generally reserved for first time offenders.
The remaining six defendants, including Dylan Thomas Larocca; John D. Eustace; Mark Ryan Watkins; Mallet Daquan Meneese; Jaelen Alexander Maxwell; and Tarrell K. Gray, all security guards working at the bar, are set to go to trial later this year.
Under the law named after Barrett, both armed and unarmed security guards in establishments where alcohol is served are required to undergo training in de-escalation, first aid, and safe physical restraint, and must complete the training every two years while renewing their registration.
The latest lawsuit is the second time Lucky Bastard Saloon has been sued for the actions of their bouncers. The first lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount.
