The parents of Ethan Falkowitz, one of the two teen tennis stars killed by a drunk driver in 2023, have filed suit against two Plainview restaurants for allegedly overserving the man found guilty of the vehicular homicide.
Also named in the suit are the driver Amandeep Singh; his father, who is the owner of the Dodge truck Singh drove; and an individual who allegedly supplied Singh with alcohol and cocaine, all of whom the family is seeking damages from.
“The lives of these two promising teenagers tragically ended, and the lives of their parents and respective families were indelibly changed, by the willful, wanton, malicious, reckless, negligent, and otherwise unlawful conduct of the defendants in this case,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit was filed by Gary and Lynn Falkowitz, the parents of Ethan Falkowitz.
Efforts to solicit comments from the Falkowitzes were unavailing.
Singh was sentenced to 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison in February after pleading guilty in January for causing the high-speed drug- and alcohol-fueled crash that killed Roslyn’s Ethan Falkowitz and Drew Hassenbein, both 14.
The two boys were returning from a celebratory team dinner after a victorious tennis match with two other teammates from the Roslyn High School tennis team. Singh, who was driving drunk and high, crashed into the car of the four boys in Hicksville.
Singh pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including aggravated vehicular homicide, two counts of second-degree manslaughter, several counts of assault, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting it as a felony, driving while ability impaired by the combined influence of alcohol and a drug and driving while intoxicated. Prosecutors said he was high on cocaine and had a blood alcohol content of 0.15% four hours after the accident, nearly twice the legal limit.
Singh had originally pleaded not guilty, but his lawyers later said they had “no choice but to finally take responsibility” when Singh’s plea changed in January.
The lawsuit was brought against Plainview restaurants Iavarone Italian Kitchen and Pizzeria and The Shed. The suit alleges they “displayed grossly poor judgement” in serving Singh despite him exhibiting signs of high levels of intoxication.
Efforts to solicit comment from the restaurants were unavailing.
Singh was alleged to have consumed alcohol at the restaurants with friends earlier in the evening before the crash, according to the suit.
State law prohibits bars and restaurants from overserving patrons, not only making it illegal but making establishments potentially liable if a crime occurs due to their intoxication.
Prosecutors said that while many of Singh’s friends used a car service to leave, Singh drove his car to his friend’s house in Muttontown. The suit alleges Singh was provided cocaine and alcohol at the friend’s house.
The amount the Falkowitz family is seeking in damages has not been disclosed.
Gary Falkowitz has advocated for the passage of the Grieving Families Act, a bipartisan bill that would permit families to seek damages for emotional sufferings for a wrongful death. This bill has not been passed and was vetoed twice by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Currently, families are only permitted civil court suits for pecuniary losses, including medical expenses, lost wages and property damages.
