After being shot by a robber at one of the video lottery chain’s Troutdale sites last year, a 64-year-old Troutdale lady who was paralyzed in the lower part of her body and now uses a wheelchair filed a $57 million lawsuit against the company on Monday.
Debra Gallo Crawford accuses Dotty’s of neglecting to install additional security measures that could have prevented robberies, such as bulletproof glass near cash registers, video surveillance, and alarm systems. According to the lawsuit, the business advertised itself as a safe place for middle-aged women and grandmothers to gamble, even though it was apparently aware of past violent instances. This was done by placing advertisements on talk shows that catered to women, like ABC’s The View.
According to her lawsuit and her attorney, Gallo Crawford, a mother and grandmother, was shot on December 20, 2023, while she was at the Dotty’s at 3157 S.W. 257th Drive when an unnamed individual attempted to rob the business. According to Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson John Plock, deputies have not yet made an arrest.
A spokesperson for Dotty’s operator, Oregon Restaurant Services Inc., was unable to comment on the lawsuit at this time.
According to the Oregon Lottery, the business, which has 34 sites in the Portland metro region, generated around $48 million in income last year, or 4% of Oregon’s total video lottery earnings. After video poker machines were approved by the state legislature, Dotty’s opened its first sites in the early 1990s.
Randall Wolfe, one of Gallo Crawford’s lawyers, stated that despite being 11 months out of the shooting, Gallo Crawford is still undergoing extensive medical treatment.
Due to Dotty’s failure to take reasonable measures to prioritize the protection of its patrons from a known history of violent crime at this and other neighboring Dotty’s locations, our client is now paralyzed, Wolfe said.
Multnomah County Circuit Court received the lawsuit.
Aimee Green reports on the legal system and breaking news. You can contact her at [email protected] or @o_aimee, or 503-294-5119.
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