Dram shop laws relate to the liability held by an establishment for serving patrons alcoholic beverages. If someone is clearly intoxicated and a bartender serves them anyway, that bartender may be liable if the person then causes a drunk driving accident. Servers have a responsibility to identify when someone is too impaired to be served more alcohol, even if they’ve ordered another drink.
In New Jersey, dram shop laws may also apply if the person who was served alcohol was a minor. If the server knew that the person was a minor – or should have known – and then that person caused a drunk driving accident, these dram shop laws could go into effect. The server was partially responsible for causing that crash because they created the conditions under which an intoxicated young person got behind the wheel.
Why does this matter to you?
If you’ve been involved in an accident with a drunk driver, it’s important to establish liability. You may need to seek financial compensation. In many cases, the drunk driver is the one who caused the accident and so they are liable for costs like medical bills or lost wages.
But if dram shop laws apply, then a bar, restaurant or club could also be responsible for the results of that accident. This can open up other avenues for you to seek compensation. Even if the driver doesn’t have enough money to cover all of your medical bills, perhaps the business does. You may be able to start a lawsuit to recover funds from both sources.
If you have been injured, you can see why it is so important to understand all the legal options you have and the steps to take as you seek proper compensation.