Drunken man falls off bar stool, sues Youngwood tavern owners

A Hempfield man is suing a tavern for injuries he suffered when he fell off a bar stool.

David A. Waugaman, 57, filed a civil lawsuit last week in Westmoreland County, claiming the owners of Ziggy's Hotel in Youngwood should pay him because he hurt his shoulder last year when he drunkenly toppled from his seat.

In the lawsuit, Waugaman contends that bartenders continued to serve him alcohol, including shots of liquor, though he was visibly drunk during his four-hour visit to the bar June 24.

“As a result of Ziggy's serving the plaintiff alcohol when he was visibly intoxicated that he became so intoxicated that he fell off the bar stool and injured his right shoulder, requiring an operation on the shoulder with loss of use and limitations from the accident date to an indefinite period of time with some permanent disability to his right shoulder and arm,” according to the lawsuit.

Tavern owners James W. Sigwait and Genevieve Everett could not be reached for comment.

Waugaman's lawyer, Jon Lewis of Greensburg, said in the lawsuit that in addition to the shoulder injury, his client lost consciousness, suffered acute alcohol poisoning and suffered pain, post-traumatic anxiety reaction and other, unnamed injuries.

Waugaman contends the tavern staff was reckless, careless and negligent and seeks damages in excess of $30,000 to pay his medical expenses and for pain and suffering as well as emotional distress.

In an interview Friday, Lewis said Waugaman was the victim of improper conduct by the bar's staff.

“They kept giving him drinks. You're not supposed to feed people so much booze they fall off a bar stool,” Lewis said.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.