December 10, 2024
James Harden before a game
Feb 13, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) during warmups against the Houston Rockets at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
A restaurant owned by James Harden was named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this week.
Cassaundra Jackson filed the lawsuit against the restaurant, Thirteen by James Harden, alleging that the establishment is partially responsible for a November 2023 car crash that took the life of Jackson’s daughter Taylar Jackson and six other victims.
The suit claims that Christian Daniel Herrera, the man who caused the fatal car crash, got heavily intoxicated at Thirteen before the tragic incident. The suit alleges that Thirteen failed to fulfill its “statutory duty to refrain from providing alcohol to an obnoxiously intoxicated person.”
Herrera allegedly left Thirteen under the heavy influence of alcohol, per court documents. He ran a red light and T-boned another vehicle, killing Taylar Jackson and the six other victims. 25-year-old Herrera was also killed.
Harden’s restaurant later released a statement on the matter to Houston ABC station KTRK.
“We cannot imagine what the family of Taylar Jackson has gone through this past year and offer our deepest sympathies to them and everyone whose lives were deeply impacted by that tragic accident,” the statement read. “We were just made aware of the filing of this lawsuit. We ask for your patience as we gather more information on this filing and will make a more formal statement as soon as possible.”
Among the victims was former NFL cornerback DJ Hayden.
According to the lawsuit, Cassaundra Jackson is seeking $1 million in damages.