Dram Shop Law Applicable for Fatal DUI Car Accident
Dram shop laws vary widely from state to state and cover places of business that serve alcohol — from liquor stores to bars to restaurants, theaters, and clubs — and impose liability on these establishments when they serve alcohol to someone underage or already intoxicated who then goes on to break the law or get in an accident that hurts themselves or others.
An article on www.stltoday.com, recently reported that a female Missouri Police Officer and the bar that served her alcohol have agreed to pay a total of $2.255 million to compensate the families of four young people killed and one man injured in a traffic crash in Des Peres, Missouri in March of last year. The wrongful-death lawsuit, brought by the survivor and the victims’ families, claimed that the Officer, who was off duty, drank “a high quantity” of alcohol that night at O'Leary's Restaurant & Bar, and then drove her car into oncoming traffic.
The suit accused the woman of negligence based on allegations of driving
drunk and driving on the wrong side of the road, among other things. The article reported that the woman’s blood-alcohol content was 0.169 % three hours after the crash. The threshold for drunk driving is 0.08 %.
The parents also sued the restaurant because its “employees knew she was
intoxicated” and did not stop her from driving or call her a cab. The suit claims that bar workers served the off-duty Officer alcohol despite her slurred speech and unsteady gait.
Drunk driving accidents causing injury and wrongful death due to bars failing to uphold dram shop laws occur far too often. Due to the complex nature of dram shop laws in Pennsylvania, it is recommended that anyone dealing with an accident related to intoxication consult first with an experienced Pennsylvania liquor liability attorney who has a track record of dealing successfully with dram shop cases. The lawyers at Cherry, Fieger, and Marciano, LLP can offer you a free and entirely confidential case evaluation. If you or a family member has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, Cherry Fieger, and Marciano can help. Call 1-888-684-7192 today.
