Dive Brief:

• Greg Parker, president and CEO of Parker’s Kitchens, will stand trial in the wrongful death case of Mallory Beach after his bid for summary judgment was denied Friday, according to court filings made in the State of South Carolina. The trial will begin Aug. 14.
• Parker is accused of negligence and other wrongdoings arising from the sale of alcohol to a minor at one of his stores, allegedly leading to a boat crash that killed Mallory Beach in 2019. 
• The denied summary judgment and scheduled court date arrived over four years after the lawsuit was first filed, marking a major turning point in the delayed case against the longtime convenience store executive.

Dive Insight:

The lawsuit against Parker was filed on March 29, 2019, about a month after Beach’s death in the boating accident near Beaufort, South Carolina. The boat was allegedly driven by an intoxicated Paul Murdaugh — the since-deceased son of convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh — who purchased the alcohol at a Parker’s Kitchens c-store.

According to court documents, Parker’s legal team argued that the sale of alcohol was valid, since the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division failed to issue any citation and because there was no evidence the cashier, Tajeeha Cohen, knew Murdaugh was underaged. Additionally, Parker’s legal team argued that Beach assumed the risk of riding in the boat the night of the crash.

"While we believe summary judgment should have been granted, we remain confident a jury will use their common sense and find that Tajeeha Cohen and Parker's are not responsible for the death of Mallory Beach." PK Shere, Greg Parker’s attorney, said in a statement.

The plaintiff has argued that Cohen sold alcohol to a customer they knew or should have known was under 21, as well as failed to recognize or question Murdaugh’s identification, which did not match the name on his credit card. Beyond that, the quality of Parker’s employee training has been called into question, since Cohen was not properly trained as a cashier, according to the filings.

“This particular cashier had worked in the kitchen, she was trained for the kitchen… but in January, she moved to being a cashier without any additional training,” Mark Tinsley, the attorney for Mallory Beach, said in an interview.

The lawsuit does not state what punishment Parker could face if found guilty. However, Tinsley noted that the family is seeking accountability.

“The jury is ultimately going to decide what happened here,” Tinsley said. “And I think it's pretty evident that as it relates to this cashier and this sale, [Parker’s] didn't follow their own policies, and this girl wasn't trained.”

Savannah, Georgia-based Parker’s, which was founded in 1976, has more than 70 Parker’s and Parker’s Kitchens locations in Georgia and South Carolina.