Jury Awards $56.5 Million in Las Vegas Restaurant Security Brawl Case

Jury Awards $56.5 Million in Las Vegas Restaurant Security Brawl Case

Introduction

Clark County Jury Awards $56.5 Million

A Clark County jury has awarded $56,500,000.96 to Omar Alrabadi, a U.S. Navy veteran who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury after a violent confrontation connected to Chayo Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar at the LINQ Promenade in Las Vegas. The jury returned its verdict on August 7, 2026, following a three-week civil trial. The lawsuit alleged that security failures at the restaurant and surrounding property contributed to the attack that left Alrabadi with serious, lasting injuries. Caesars Entertainment and Three Amigos Restaurant Group, which operates Chayo, were each assigned 50% responsibility, while the jury assigned no fault to Alrabadi.

2021 Incident at Chayo Mexican Kitchen

The lawsuit arose from an incident that occurred during the early morning hours of July 31, 2021. According to evidence presented at trial, Alrabadi was at Chayo with friends and family when a verbal confrontation broke out between groups inside the restaurant. The situation later became physical and continued outside the restaurant at the LINQ Promenade. Alrabadi was eventually attacked and beaten unconscious. His attorneys argued that the actions and response of security personnel contributed to the escalation of the confrontation and the events that followed.

Allegations Concerning Restaurant Security

A central issue at trial was whether the security personnel appropriately handled the confrontation. Alrabadi's attorneys argued that security staff failed to properly de-escalate the situation and instead contributed to the escalation. They also alleged that security personnel failed to adequately respond after Alrabadi was attacked.

The defense disputed those allegations and maintained that the security personnel were attempting to deal with a group of patrons involved in a confrontation. According to Courtroom View Network's coverage of the trial, defense counsel argued that the blows responsible for Alrabadi's brain injury were delivered by an unidentified third-party attacker rather than by security personnel. These competing accounts were presented to the jury during the civil proceedings.

Severe Brain Injury Changed Alrabadi's Life

Alrabadi suffered a serious traumatic brain injury during the attack. According to his attorneys, he was beaten and repeatedly kicked or stomped in the head and neck area after the confrontation moved outside the restaurant. His injuries included a diffuse axonal brain injury, a serious form of traumatic brain injury that can result from significant movement or impact involving the brain.

Before the incident, Alrabadi had been serving in the U.S. Navy and pursuing an engineering-related career. His attorneys said the injuries prevented him from continuing that path and eventually resulted in his honorable discharge from the Navy. The case therefore involved not only the immediate medical consequences of the attack but also claims concerning the long-term effects the brain injury had on his education, career, and future.

Surveillance Footage Became Important Evidence

Surveillance footage played a significant role during the trial. Alrabadi's legal team relied on video evidence to argue that security personnel mishandled the confrontation and failed to protect him after the dispute escalated. The footage was presented to jurors as evidence regarding the actions of the security personnel and the people involved in the attack.

Another issue concerned the preservation and disclosure of surveillance footage. According to Alrabadi's attorneys, more than 1,000 additional surveillance videos were eventually produced after earlier disputes over whether further footage existed. The court subsequently allowed an adverse inference instruction concerning the missing or previously undisclosed evidence. This meant jurors could consider the circumstances surrounding the evidence when evaluating the case.

Jury Assigns Equal Responsibility

After hearing the evidence, the Clark County jury determined that both Caesars Entertainment and Three Amigos Restaurant Group bore responsibility for the circumstances surrounding the attack. The jury divided liability equally, assigning 50% to Caesars Entertainment and 50% to Three Amigos Restaurant Group. Alrabadi was assigned zero percent comparative fault.

The total award was $56,500,000.96. According to the plaintiff's law firm and local reporting, the verdict included $15 million in direct damages and more than $41.5 million in future damages. The future damages portion reflected the long-term consequences of the injuries claimed by Alrabadi.

Defense Challenged Liability and Injury Claims

During the trial, the defense challenged the plaintiff's account of the incident and the extent to which the defendants should be held responsible. Defense attorneys acknowledged that Alrabadi had suffered a violent assault but argued that the security personnel should not be held responsible for the injuries caused by the unidentified attackers. The defense also questioned aspects of the claimed long-term effects of Alrabadi's brain injury.

These arguments were considered during the civil trial before the jury reached its verdict. Because the case involved allegations and competing accounts of the events, descriptions of the defendants' conduct should be understood in the context of the claims and evidence presented during the proceedings.

Verdict Returned on August 7, 2026

The $56.5 million verdict was returned on August 7, 2026, after approximately three weeks of trial in Clark County District Court. The verdict was subsequently reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and other local and legal news outlets. The Review-Journal reported that Alrabadi sued Caesars Entertainment and Chayo Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar over the incident.

The case is significant because the jury's award addressed alleged security failures associated with a restaurant and entertainment property and resulted in substantial damages for a guest who suffered a life-altering brain injury. The jury's findings placed responsibility equally between Caesars Entertainment and Three Amigos Restaurant Group while assigning no comparative fault to Alrabadi.