DRAM SHOP LIABILITY

It is unfortunate and tragic when drunk drivers do harm to others. It is also reprehensible when drinking establishments serve as enabling agents by contributing to their intoxication. Many states including Pennsylvania and New Jersey have enacted “dram shop” laws to prevent drinking establishments such as bars, taverns and restaurants from serving alcohol to visibly intoxicated persons. By failing to observe these laws, the establishment serving the drivers, can be held responsible for any harm done by their patrons even after they leave the premises. If you or a loved one has been harmed by an intoxicated person, it is possible that a bar or restaurant acted negligently when it knew or should have known that the person was already drunk.

Our firm recently represented a young woman who was involved in an automobile accident with a drunk driver. He was speeding with a blood alcohol content of more than twice the legal limit. As a result of the collision, she was thrown from the car and suffered severe facial disfigurement. The driver of the car, her fiancé, died as a result after lingering in a coma for approximately one month.

Our firm favorably resolved this case and the young woman received lifetime financial security as a result of the Dram Shop Action that we brought on her behalf. We established proof that he was visibly intoxicated at the time he was provided with the additional drinks at the bar.

If you would like us to evaluate your legal problem, please contact us by phone at 215-972-1376 or by filling out the form below.