South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
A couple from Palm Beach is looking for the compensation that they deserve, after a drunk driver slammed into their vehicle and fled the scene in a recent accident. According to The Palm Beach Post, the elderly couple isn’t just going after the driver, they’re also going after a local tavern, for allegedly over-serving the bar’s regulars.
Because the patrons were regulars and because they were at the bar for hours before the accident happened, some believe that the victims will win what they deserve. In the state of Florida, the dram shop law allows liability of establishments arising out of the sale of alcohol to obviously intoxicated persons or minors who subsequently cause death or injury to third parties as a result of alcohol-related crashes.
Our West Palm Beach injury attorneys know dram shop laws have been proved to reduce the risk of traffic collisions by reducing excessive and illegal consumption, both of which are common in alcohol-related accidents. In many states that have strict dram shop laws, “happy hours” are less common. But don’t think that the responsibility is being taken from the drinkers and placed onto the servers. Drivers and other parties are still held liable for damages. As drivers, we still have a moral responsibility to say when enough is enough and not to consume enough alcohol to endanger ourselves or other motorists on the road.
The truth of the matter is that it is difficult to prove that the establishment was the cause of any injuries sustained by a third party. It’s tough to be able to tell if employees knew if the person in question was clearly visibly intoxicated or if they were “habitually addicted” to alcohol. This is why it’s critical for you to recruit experienced legal representation if you believe you’ve got a dram shop case.
But it’s not only those who over-serve who are up for question under Florida’s dram shop laws. Also, anyone who serves alcohol to a person under 21, or allows such a person to consume alcohol on the premises, can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor. It is illegal to knowingly serve a minor, and the consequences are much worse if that minor gets into an accident and causes damages, injuries or death.
Evidence of court-ordered alcohol rehabilitation programs, as well as multiple intoxication-related arrests, may serve as proof of alcoholism in such cases. It’s critical to recruit professional legal help in building such cases.
Each year, there are thousands of people killed in alcohol-related accidents out there on our roadways. There are hundreds of thousands of more who are injured each and every year. Many of these accidents, injuries and fatalities could be completely prevented if bars, taverns, restaurants and other related venues took a better look at their patrons and worried more about the safety of our community rather than their establishment’s income.
If you or a loved one was injured in an accident, contact Freeman Injury Law for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Spring Breakers Targeted by Law Enforcement Statewide, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, March 2, 2013
Drunk Driving Crackdowns in South Florida Continue Through New Year, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, December 15, 2012