After Cavalier bartender Roberto Chicas's UberX driver allegedly bashed him in the in head with a hammer, Eric Mejia, the owner of Louie's Bar, knew he had to do something to help his friend.

Mejia, who tells SFist he attended San Mateo's Junipero Serra High School high school with Chicas, says that the bar and restaurant industry in San Francisco is so small that "when something like this happens, we all have to pull together to help each other out." His gesture to help Chicas, who was so dreadfully injured that he expects to lose an eye and faces months of painful reconstructive surgery: The Chicas Special, a $5 shot of Fernet and can of Hamm's, $1 of each which will go to Chicas to aid in his recovery.

And it's likely that Chicas will need that assistance. Though he has retained an attorney who says he will be suing both Chicas' attacker and Uber, itself, claims like this one take a notoriously long time to wind their way through the legal system. It won't help that Uber says that riders "EXPRESSLY WAIVE AND RELEASE THE COMPANY FROM ANY AND ALL ANY LIABILITY, CLAIMS OR DAMAGES ARISING FROM OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE THIRD PARTY TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER" in their terms of service, a detail that one of the ridesharing company's growing number of in-house attorneys is sure to leverage in this case.

Or perhaps we're being too cynical. After all, in a canned statement sent to media outlets on October 1, the company says that "The injuries suffered by Mr Chicas are deplorable and we wish him a quick recovery. Uber’s insurance provider is in contact with representatives of both the rider and driver, and of course we will continue to cooperate with authorities throughout the investigation." Perhaps they will give Chicas everything he needs, and more. Wouldn't that be great?

But let's not count on that. The Chicas Special will be available at Louie's Bar (55 Stevenson Street at Ecker) for all of October, Mejia says.

"It's my way to give back" says Mejia. Chicas "would do it for me — would do it for anybody — if things were reversed."

Previously: UberX Driver Accused Of Bashing Cavalier Bartender With Hammer Took Freeway To Get From SoMa To Lower Haight

[h/t Eater SF]