Oregon Brewery Sued over Employee’s Accident

State Farm Insurance has sued Deschutes Brewery, saying it allowed an employee to drink too much free beer before he was involved in a traffic accident.

The lawsuit filed Friday in Multnomah County Circuit Court seeks $230,000. It alleges the employee was told by a supervisor that workers were allowed one free beer at the end of a shift, but no one monitored how much the employee drank.

The suit contends the worker drank 10 to 13 beers at the Bend plant on Feb. 22, 2008, then at least five more at a Redmond strip club. It says a car he was driving later struck a vehicle on U.S. 20, injuring four people.

Deschutes President Gary Fish tells The Oregonian that the company found the facts were significantly different, and it does not encourage irresponsible drinking.