Legal Consequences for Serving Alcohol to Intoxicated Individuals
Someone goes out for a few drinks at a bar, a restaurant, maybe even a party for Christmas or that’s sponsored through work, they have too much to drink and they leave, they go out and God forbid they kill somebody or badly injure somebody. What is that known as?
Well, if it’s a commercial establishment, that is a violation of a case in Oklahoma known as Velvet Dove and that’s what we call a Dram Shop case. I’ve worked some on both sides of the fence where unfortunately somebody has too much to drink, they leave and then somebody gets very badly injured. In one case I’ve had a fatality accident. The owner and the servers of that establishment can be held to answer.
Now can the person who had too much to drink sue the bar for serving them too much? No. The Dram Shop case is not designed to keep someone from drinking water like a horse when they’re drinking alcohol. They are charged with a public policy duty to protect the public at large.
So if I get too much to drink and I go out and drive and I wrap myself around a tree, can I sue the bar? I can try, but I’m not going to get anywhere. However, if I didn’t hit a tree, I hit another car and somebody gets seriously injured, they can be held to answer and they will get sued under Oklahoma’s Dram Shop case.
Drink in Moderation and Be Responsible
I’m Mike Ashworth. This is TulsaPersonalInjuryLawyer.pro. Drink in moderation. Be careful. But remember, if you have too much to drink and you go out and you get hurt, you do not have the right of recovery. It’s only the traveling public or people other than there that have that right.
Call for a Free Consultation
Give me a call at 918-924-5528, TulsaPersonalInjuryLawyer.pro, for a free consultation and to understand your rights and options in case of an accident.
