201-470-4181
By N.A. Pagliara, Esquire of Pagliara Law Group, P.A. posted in Personal Injury Blog on February 12, 2025.
A Bergen County jury awarded $3 million on February 7 to a man who was left blind after being shot in the head outside a nightclub. However, due to the jury’s allocation of 5% liability to the plaintiff, the final recovery was reduced to $2.85 million.
Raman Reyes, 22, of the Bronx, was leaving a private event at Rain, a venue in Teaneck, on December 7, 2020, when another attendee opened fire. The event, promoted as a birthday party for rapper Julius Dubose, known as A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, was hosted by Rain On Events. While Rain typically functioned as a private event space, it shifted to hosting paid parties featuring celebrities under the name “Funday Sunday” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to testimony, the event promoter kept ticket sales revenue while the venue profited from alcohol sales. Although Rain On Events presented itself as an event space, it effectively operated as a nightclub. The club’s defense attempted to attribute blame to local police, the event promoter, and an independent contractor serving as a security guard, but the jury was not persuaded.
On the night of the shooting, a man named Ivis Perdomo entered the venue carrying a black satchel. A security guard testified that Perdomo was visibly intoxicated when he arrived. After getting into an argument with members of Dubose’s entourage, Perdomo was ejected from the club. Before leaving, he warned a security guard, “My people don’t fight, we shoot. Something’s going to go down tonight,”
As the club was closing and patrons, including Reyes, were exiting, Perdomo pulled a gun from his satchel and fired. A bullet struck Reyes, entering through his right temple and exiting through his left. While he made a miraculous recovery, he was left completely blind in his left eye and legally blind in his right, rendering him unable to work, Faugno said.
Reyes sued Rain On Events, arguing that it was responsible for its security guards’ negligence in allowing Perdomo inside despite his intoxication and for failing to inspect his satchel. He also alleged that the club failed to alert the police to Perdomo’s threats of gun violence.
“Convincing a jury to hold a nightclub accountable when a random person pulls a gun and starts shooting is a difficult challenge,” but it was successful.
Adding to the case’s complexity, the shooting occurred on the street rather than on Rain’s property. This is where a good attorney comes in and knows the law. Case law extended the club’s liability beyond its premises. While two Teaneck police officers were stationed outside at closing time, the club’s defense contended that the police, not the venue, were responsible for what happened outside.
Following a two-week trial before Judge Michael Beukas in Bergen County Superior Court, the jury found the club On Events 60% responsible, Perdomo 35%, and Reyes 5%. Under New Jersey’s alcohol liability laws, a patron can be assigned liability for harm occurring after drinking at a venue. However, due to the state’s joint and several liability laws, Reyes can recover the full amount from the Club, except for the 5% attributed to him. As a result, the club is responsible for paying both its 60% share and the 35% assigned to Perdomo.
If you have not been injured at a nightclub, restaurant or bar due to the negligence of the establishment, management or security we will get your justice and hold them accountable then please contact the experienced and skilled personal injury attorneys at Pagliara Law Group or at 201-470-4181.
AUTHOR: Nicholas A. Pagliara, Esq. Founder, Chairman of the Board and Managing Attorney of Pagliara Law Group, PA.
Contact Us: Our attorneys represent the injured at nightclubs and bars. Call us at (201) 470-4181 or fill out the contact form on this page. We can help.
Tags and Topics: Personal Injury, Nightclub, Nightclub injury, shooting. See our Personal Injury and our Nightlife Lawyer practice group.
