Spybar owners face Dram Shop suit from woman who claims other patrons assaulted her

A woman is suing the owners of Chicago nightclub, where she claims she was injured during a brawl with other patrons.

Crystal Serna filed a lawsuit July 15 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Spybar Management LLC, doing business as Spybar, 303 Erie Partners LLC, Skyline Management Co., doing business as Spybar, and Erie-Franklin Hop Haus LLC, doing business as Hop Haus, citing the Dram Shop Act.

According to the complaint, Serna was at Spybar on North Franklin in Chicago Street on July 26, 2012, when she claims she was assaulted by various patrons and sustained bruises and lacerations, a broken nose and an injury to her forehead that required stitches.

She accuses the defendants failing to provide proper security and serving intoxicating beverages to the patrons who assaulted Serna, despite having knowledge of violence taking place on the premises.

The defendants are further accused of failing to call the police when security personnel failed to contain the violence in order to avoid reports that could endanger its liquor license, as well as allowing the sale of illegal narcotic drugs on the premises.

Serna is seeking more than $50,000 in damages and is being represented in the case by attorney Joseph L. Dombrowski of Dombrowski, Sorensen & Gigac in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014L007432.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.