Bars popping up in every nook and corner in New York state has sure given a boost to our social lives, but it has also contributed to instances of drunk driving. Numbers show that in New York state alone about 1.7 million drivers cause nearly 31 million incidents of drinking and driving each year. And shockingly, the probability of getting arrested is only one of out 500, showing that people will continue to take the risk of drunk driving.
It is needless to say that drunk driving can cause accidents. These accidents can harm others as well as the person concerned. These can lead to long-term and traumatic injuries, and can even be fatal. But, here’s food for thought – what to do in case you meet with an accident due to a drunk driver? And the answer is simple, get a drunk driving accident lawyer. At the same time, it is important to keep yourself aware of the know and how of accidents caused due to drunk driving.
Most often, accidents due to drunk driving are caused when people go out to drink at bars and restaurants and drive back home. In these cases, it is possible to sue the bar for over serving alcohol and aiding drunk driving. A drunk driving accident lawyer will look into this aspect before putting together your financial compensation claim.
What do you need to know about suing a bar?
Excessive drinking causes loss of inhibitions which may lead to over drinking. In such a case, expectations of personal accountability may go down, hence, some responsibility falls on the owner of the bar to stop serving alcohol and also make efforts to ensure that the drunk person does not drive. If the accident is caused by a drunk driver after leaving the bar, then a drunk driving accident lawyer can sue the bar under “dram shop case”.
What is a dram shop law?
The law holds businesses liable when they serve or sell alcohol to minors or to clearly drunk people who cause accidents and subsequent injuries or other losses. There are two types of dram shop cases – (1) first-party dram shop case, under which the intoxicated person can hold the bar owner responsible for overserving him or her which led to an accident or injuries, and (2) third-party dram shop case, under which victims of a drunk driving accident can hold the bar responsible for causing the accident.
How can a drunk driving accident lawyer help in a dram shop case?
While the dram shop law may seem straightforward, proving the accountability of the bar owner may be a challenge, for example, they may easily say that they weren’t able to decipher if the person was drunk or not. A lot of evidence is required to sue the bar effectively so that you can get the compensation you deserve. A drunk driving accident lawyer is the way to go as they have immense experience in handling such cases, by holding the right party responsible as well as seeking claim for all tangible and intangible injuries, losses and other hidden expenses.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of an accident due to drunk driving, get a drunk driving accident attorney today.
Reach out to Siler &Ingber, LLP, call us on 1-877-529-4343 or contact us via our online form on this page to schedule a free consultation and case evaluation with a drunk driving accident attorney.