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Antonio Salomon-Merlino of Carlstadt claims in a lawsuit he drank several Tequila-based drinks at two bars before crashing his motorcycle in Lodi. He alleges he was visibly intoxicated but the bars served him anyway. (Avi Steinhardt | FILE)

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LODI - A Carlstadt man is suing two drinking establishments for serving him alcoholic beverages in the hours before he crashed his motorcycle and was seriously hurt.

Antonio Salomon-Merlino, 28, was drinking Tequila and pisco sours in the bar at Oh! Calamares in Kearny before driving his motorcycle to Hector's Sports Bar in Clifton, where he downed several more alcoholic drinks, according to his attorney, Natalie A. Zammitti Shaw of Fort Lee.

"He was definitely intoxicated at the time of the accident," Zammitti Shaw said Friday, claiming business receipts show her client purchased numerous drinks in both establishments.

The night of debauchery began on July 25, 2015 and ended about 3:15 a.m. the next day when Salomon-Merlino crashed his 2009 Suzuki motorcycle on Outwater Lane in Lodi, according to the attorney, who filed suit April 25 in Bergen County Superior Court.

Salomon-Merlino was on his way to visit a friend when the accident occurred and he suffered a severe leg injury as a result of the crash, according to his attorney.

Police charged Salomon-Merlino with drunken driving, but his blood-alcohol level was below the 0.08 threshold for driving drunk and the charge was dismissed, Zammitti Shaw said.

That's because five hours had passed from the time of the accident until Salomon-Merlino had been given a blood and/or breath test, the attorney said.

"If you go back in time and look at the money he had spent on alcohol - five patrons and piscos at Oh! Calamares - you understand that he definitely had a high blood-alcohol level," Zammitti Shaw said.

Servers at both Oh! Calamares and Hector's Sports Bar "knew or should have known that (Salomon-Merlino) was visibly intoxicated" and that "he could or would cause bodily injury to himself or others," the suit states.

Zammitti Shaw said her client has undergone multiple surgeries to repair injuries to his leg. She said he has not been able to work or ride a motorcycle since the accident.

The suit is filed under New Jersey's Dram Shop Law, which states that any person injured by an intoxicated driver may seek damages from a vendor who served the alcohol if the intoxicated individual was visibly intoxicated.

A woman who identified herself as the manager of Oh! Calamares declined to comment Friday, saying she had not seen the suit.

Hector's Sports Bar could not be reached for comment Friday.

In addition to the businesses, Salomon-Merlino is suing the borough of Lodi for allegedly failing to keep Outwater Lane in good repair and free from hazardous or dangerous conditions.

The suit claims a lack of traffic lights and "confusing, damaged and/or missing signs" contributed to the accident.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.