A year after a drunk-driving crash led to the death of an Uber driver and the injury of the passenger, the victims filed lawsuits against the driver and the bar that served him.

Coban Porter, the 22-year-old former member of the University of Denver’s basketball team and younger brother of Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., was arrested early Jan. 22, 2023, following a crash that killed a 42-year-old mother, Katharina Rothman, and severely injured 47-year-old Jason Blanch. 

Along with the criminal charges of four felonies — including vehicular homicide-DUI and vehicular assault-DUI — Porter now faces two civil cases filed by Blanch and Mason Rothman, Katharina’s husband. 

The Rothman’s lawsuit was filed on Jan. 18. Blanch’s on Jan. 22.

Despite different dates and law firms, the lawsuits echo the same allegation: both Porter and the Crimson and Gold Tavern that served him are at fault for the death and traumatic brain injury.

“We are seeking damages for what is reasonable — an amount that will cover a lifetime of catastrophic brain damage and with that, a lifetime of treatment, loss of economic wages, pain and suffering, and a general loss of dignity and independence,” Blanch’s attorney Kaitlin Nares, CEO and owner of Hagen Nares PLLC, told The Denver Gazette.

The incident

Rothman was working as an Uber driver on the night of Jan. 21, 2023. She was driving Blanch in her 2023 Tesla T3 in the area of the University of Denver campus. 

Around the same time, employees of the Crimson and Gold Tavern “continued to serve alcohol to Defendant Porter while knowing he was visibly intoxicated,” according to the lawsuit filed by Blanch. Both lawsuits claim that employees should have known Porter was dangerously intoxicated, but continued to serve him alcohol before he left the premises. 

Around 2 a.m., Porter traveled eastbound on East Buchtel Boulevard in a 2014 Ford Edge while Rothman and Blanch traveled northbound on South University Boulevard. Rothman had a greenlight and Porter did not, according to both lawsuits. Porter failed to stop and crashed into the Uber, killing Rothman and leaving Blanch severely injured.

The crash occurred less than a mile from the Crimson and Gold Tavern. 

The lawsuits alleged that he was driving at approximately 50 mph — 20 mph over the speed limit. Blanch’s lawsuit also notes that Porter’s blood was taken at the hospital after the crash and he allegedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.20. The legal limit to not be considered under the influence while driving is 0.08.

Both lawsuits claim that Porter was negligent for driving the vehicle while intoxicated. Porter “willfully and wantonly drove the 2014 Ford Edge while extremely intoxicated,” according to Blanch’s lawsuit.

The lawsuits also note that Crimson and Gold has a “statutory duty” to not serve alcohol to a patron who is visibly intoxicated.

Christopher Potter, identified in the lawsuits as the representative of Crimson and Gold Tavern’s operating company, Potter Restaurant Group, could not be reached Tuesday for comment. But officials at the bar declined comment. 

“We want the community to know that if you have a drunk driver case, you can hold the bar/tavern accountable for overserving a visibly intoxicated person by creating an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of the public,” Nares said. “That is exactly what happened here — a visibly intoxicated Coban Porter was overserved, got in his car, drove over 50 mph on a 30 speed zone, blew a red light and caused permanent and catastrophic brain damage to Jason Blanch.”

Rothman’s attorneys, Bachus & Schanker, did not respond to a request comment by press time.