Drunken assaults at popular Murrells Inlet restaurant blamed on service, suit says
A Murrells Inlet waterfront eatery failed to intervene when an intoxicated customer was allowed to continue drinking, eventually assaulting other patrons, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Horry County.
Stephanie McGinnelly was overserved alcohol to the point of intoxication at the Dead Dog Saloon, located at 4017 Highway 17, on Sept. 30, 2023, the lawsuit claims.
In her intoxicated state, McGinnelly “violently and repeatedly assaulted” Jennifer Hannigan of Myrtle Beach, the lawsuit continues.
Hannigan’s lawsuit lists McGinnelly and Dead Dog LLC as defendants, as well as affiliates of Dead Dog LLC— The Claw House LLC; Campbell Catering Co.; Mike, Charles and John Campbell; and Peter Jaentjens — as well as a Mr. Stephanie McGinnelly, a John and Jane Doe, ABC Security and ABC corporation.
Dead Dog Saloon administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Hannigan, who is representing herself in the litigation, suffered severe head trauma, whiplash, neck and back injuries, and physical, financial and emotional injuries such as PTSD, the lawsuit claims. McGinnelly also caused injury to three other patrons, according to the lawsuit.
Hannigan claims in the lawsuit that the repeated assaults were a “direct and foreseeable result” of the restaurant’s overservice of alcohol, lack of supervision and failure to implement proper safety measures or training.
She goes on to claim that the restaurant also failed to preserve surveillance footage, reports, cash receipts and incident records. Additionally, the lawsuit states that the defendants “willfully and maliciously destroyed, altered, or concealed evidence with the intent to impair its integrity, obstruct justice,” and hinder Hannigan’s ability to pursue legal remedies.
McGinnelly was “freed from” criminal charges as a result of the assaults, but has a history of criminal charges in the county, the lawsuit claims.
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
