All About Dram Shop Law

ss=”“mytoc””>

T

ble of Contents<

h2>

• <
  h

  ef=”#d

  m-f

  qs">

  h

  t is Dm Shop L?<><

  li>

• <
  h

  ef=”#li

  bility">

  ho is Li

  ble Unde

  D

  m Shop L

  ? ><

  li>

• <
  h

  ef=”#evidence”>Evidence in

  Dm Shop C

  se ><

  li>

• <
  h

  ef=”#d

  m

  ges”>D

  m

  ges in

  Dm Shop C

  se ><

  li>

• <
  h

  ef=”#st

  tutes">St

  tutes of Limit

  tions fo

  D

  m Shop C

  ses<><

  li>

• <
  h

  ef=”#soci

  l-host">Soci

  l Host Li

  bility<><

  li>

• <
  h

  ef=”#st

  te-ls">Dm Shop Ls by St

  te ><

  li>

• <
  h

  ef=”#get-help-no

  ">Get Help f

  om

  D

  unk D

  iving

  ccident L

  ye

  No

  ><

  li>

  h

  t is Dm Shop L?<

  h2>
  Let’s st

  t

  ith some histo

  ic

  l linguistics, sh

  ll

  e? "Dm" comes f

  om the B

  itish

  o

  d "dchm,"

  unit of volume used in

  pothecy me

  su

  ements. Ove

  time it g

  e

  to

  efe

  to liquo

  , pticully

  hiskey

  nd gin. Bs

  nd t

  ve

  ns kno

  n fo

  selling liquo

  in sm

  ll inc

  ements

  e

  e then c

  lled “d

  m shops.” (Tod

  y, if you o

  de

  “d

  m” of something, the ex

  ct

  mount you’ll get depends on

  he

  e you go — sometimes it’s

  spoonful, sometimes it's

  shot gl

  ss!) Dm shop ls d

  te b

  ck to the 19th centu

  y’s tempe

  nce movement, the p

  ecu

  so

  to P

  ohibition.

  est

  u

  nt o

  ne

  s, club o

  ne

  s,

  nd b o

  ne

  s m

  y be li

  ble if

  p

  t

  on

  ho dnk

  t thei

  est

  blishment

  ent on to get behind the

  heel

  nd c

  use

  d

  unk d

  iving

  ccident. <

  h

  ef=”https://c

  inju

  yvictims.com

  tex

  s-dm-shop-ls-holding-bs-

  ccount

  ble

  ” t

  get=”_bl

  nk"

  el=”noopene

  no

  efe

  e

  ">Dm shop l<>

  llo

  s individu

  ls inju

  ed in d

  unk d

  iving

  ccidents to pl

  ce bl

  me on

  n est

  blishment th

  t se

  ved

  lcoholic beveges — if

  n intoxic

  ted p

  t

  on se

  ved the

  e c

  used

  n

  ccident.

  Long sto

  y sho

  t, if

  d

  unk d

  ive

  hits you, it is possible fo

  you to sue the b he c

  me f

  om. Don’t ove

  look this

  oute

  hen you’

  e pu

  suing <

  h

  ef=”https://c

  inju

  yvictims.comccidents-involving-d

  unk-d

  ive

  s-c

  n-entitle-victims-to-signific

  nt-compens

  tion

  ” t

  get=”_bl

  nk"

  el=”noopene

  no

  efe

  e

  ">compens

  tion

  fte d

  unk d

  iving

  ccident >! The

  e

  e t

  o types of dm shop c

  ses:

  Fi

  st-Pty Dm Shop C

  ses

  Believe it o

  not, in some st

  tes,

  d

  unk d

  ive

  c

  n sue the b they just c

  me f

  om! In

  fi

  st-pty dm shop c

  se, if

  pe

  son

  s intoxic

  ted

  hile they

  e

  e inju

  ed in

  n

  ccident they c

  used, they c

  n sue the est

  blishment

  he

  e they

  e

  e se

  ved

  lcohol. These c

  ses c

  n be

  n uphill b

  ttle, especi

  lly if they go to t

  i

  l, bec

  use judges

  nd ju

  ies tend to vie

  this

  s

  n issue of pe

  son

  l

  esponsibility. Single-vehicle

  ccidents —

  he

  e only the d

  unk d

  ive

  s h

  med — h

  ve bette

  ch

  nces of success th

  n multi-vehicle

  ccidents.

  Dm Shop L &

  mp; Mino

  s<

  h4>
  The fede

  l minimum d

  inking

  ge

  s

  ised to 21 ye

  s old in 1984. Befo

  e th

  t, it v

  ied f

  om st

  te to st

  te,

  ith Ne

  Yo

  k, C

  lifo

  ni

  ,

  nd Ohio setting the leg

  l d

  inking

  ge

  s lo

  s 16!

  Tod

  y, dm shop l comes into pl

  y if

  n est

  blishment se

  ves

  lcohol to

  mino

  . In Tex

  s

  nd Ne

  Je

  sey, if

  mino

  s se

  ved

  lcohol

  nd then got into

  n

  ccident of

  ny kind, the mino

  o

  thei

  leg

  l gu

  di

  ns c

  n sue the b

  fo

  d

  m

  ges! This

  ould be

  nothe

  ex

  mple of

  fi

  st-pty dm shop c

  se.

  Thi

  d-Pty Dm Shop C

  ses

  Thi

  d-pty dm shop c

  ses

  e f

  mo

  e common th

  n fi

  st-pty dm shop c

  ses.

  In

  thi

  d-p

  ty d

  m shop c

  se, victims hit by

  d

  unk d

  ive

  o

  p

  ssenge

  s

  ho

  e

  e

  iding

  ith

  d

  unk d

  ive

  c

  n file

  cl

  im

  g

  inst the b

  th

  t se

  ved the d

  ive

  e

  lie

  th

  t night.

  To cl

  ify, he

  e’s

  hypothetic

  l

  ccident: J

  ne is ove

  se

  ved

  t

  b

  nd gets into

  c

  ccident

  ith Tim

  s she is le

  ving. Both of them could file suit

  g

  inst the b. J

  ne

  ould be the fi

  st-p

  ty cl

  im

  nt

  nd Tim

  ould be the thi

  d-pty cl

  im

  nt.

  est

  unts<

  li>

  i

  -level="1">clubs<

  li>

  i

  -level="1">t

  ve

  ns<

  li>

  i

  -level="1">bs<

  li>

M

ny est

blishments th

t se

ve

lcohol c

y li

bility insunce to p

otect themselves in these situ

tions. Ho

eve

, in

ddition to h

ving to compens

te victims, othe

consequences include fines

nd the

evoc

tion of

liquo

license.

emembe

, in

dm shop c

se, you

e pu

suing compens

tion f

om the est

blishment in

ddition to the d

unk d

ive

, not inste

d of the d

unk d

ive

.

Civil l

suits c

n

lso be filed

g

inst the individu

l se

ve

o

b

tende

ho ove

se

ved

d

unk d

ive

.

Dete

mining li

bility in

ny c

ccident c

se c

n be difficult, but

n expe

ienced d

unk d

iving l

ye

kno

s ho

to pu

sue

ll li

ble p

ties

nd m

ximize you

settlement

mount. Ho

c

n they

chieve this? Let’s t

ke

look.

Evidence in

D

m Shop C

se<

h2>
ss=”

p-im

ge-68376

lign

ight” s

c="https:

/c

inju

yvictims.comp-content

uplo

ds

2021/01/Sc

eenshot-2021-01-12-

t-10.13.33-

M-300x201.png"

lt=”Houston DUI L

ye

s"

idth=”362″ height=”243″ />Cl

im

nts in

dm shop c

se need to p

ove the est

blishment in question

s negligent. This me

ns p

oving the est

blishment’s o

ne

o

employees kne

— oe

son

bly should h

ve kno

n —

p

t

on

s intoxic

ted, but kept se

ving them

nyy. Evidence in

d

m shop c

se m

y include:

• i
  -level="1">

  itness testimony

• i
  -level="1">soci

  l medi

  posts<

  li>

• i
  -level="1">su

  veill

  nce foot

  ge of the p

  t

  on beh

  ving visibly intoxic

  ted

• i
  -level="1">othe

  video sou

  ces, like c

  me

  phones o

  soci

  l medi

  feeds<

  li>

• i
  -level="1">police

  ccident

  epo

  ts, b

  e

  th

  lyzeesults,

  nd field sob

  iety test

  esults

• i
  -level="1">

  eceipts o

  eco

  ds of c

  edit c

  d ch

  ges sho

  ing ho

  m

  ny d

  inks

  e

  e pu

  ch

  sed

b m

y

lso be in leg

l t

ouble if it se

ves

p

t

on

fte

"l

st c

ll" o

closing time, o

ithout checking ID.

medic

l bills fo

su

ge

ies, di

gnostic im

ging,

mbul

nce

ides,

nd mo

e

i

-level="1">p

esc

iption medic

tions

i

-level="1">physic

l the

py

i

-level="1">mobility

ids like

heelch

i

s<

li>

i

-level="1">home

enov

tions (

heelch

i

mps, g

b b

s, etc.)

i

-level="1">lost ges

nd lost e

ning potenti

l<

li>

i

-level="1">p

ope

ty d

m

ge

nd

uto

ep

i

i

-level="1">

ent

l vehicles<

li>

i

-level="1">p

in

nd suffe

ing

i

-level="1">dis

bility o

disfigu

ement

i

-level="1">loss of enjoyment of life<

li>

i

-level="1">funel

nd bu

i

l expenses, in the event of

f

t

l d

unk d

iving

ccident

Be

e: some st

tes limit the

mount of compens

tion

cl

im

nt c

n get f

om

d

m shop c

se.

c

ccident lye

c

n help you develop the best sttegy foecove

ing f

om the d

m

ge c

used by

d

unk d

ive

.

St

tutes of Limit

tions fo

D

m Shop C

ses<

h2>
Some st

tes

equi

e inju

ed victims to give fo

m

l

itten notice of thei

dm shop cl

im. Time limits fo

p

oviding this m

nd

to

y notice c

n be

s sho

t

s 60 d

ys.

St

tutes of limit

tions fo

dm shop c

ses

nd othe

c

ccident c

ses v

y f

om st

te to st

te. Fo

mo

e guid

nce on

h

t de

dlines you’ll need to meet, consult

<

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

se

vices

houston-d

unk-d

iving-dui-o

-d

i-

ccident-

tto

ney

” t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”noopene

no

efe

e

">d

unk d

iving

ccident

tto

ney >.

thing? Yep! Event li

bility insunce is

v

il

ble to the hosts of p

iv

te events.)

Dm Shop Ls by St

te

D

m shop l

s

e est

blished

t the st

te level, not by the fedel gove

nment. The

efo

e, d

m shop l

definition v

ies f

om st

te to st

te. Belo

e b

ief ove

vie

s of dm shop ls in the e

s

he

e ou

fi

m cu

ently h

s physic

l offices.

D

m Shop L

in Tex

s<

h3>

cco

ding to the <

h

ef=”https://st

tutes.c

pitol.tex

s.gov

Docs/

L

htm/

L.2.htm" tget="_bl

nk”

el="nofollo

noopene

no

efe

e

">Tex

s

lcoholic Bevege Code<>,

b

o

et

ile

is li

ble if it sold, se

ved, o

otheise p

ovided

n

lcoholic beve

ge to

customeho s “obviously intoxic

ted to the extent th

t he p

esented

cle d

nge

to themself

nd othe

s”

nd th

t customeent on to c

use inju

ies

nd p

ope

ty d

m

ge due to intoxic

tion. Dm shop li

bility is still subject to the limit

tions of comp

tive

esponsibility in Tex

s.  Fo

ex

mple, if

d

unk d

ive

is found to be mo

e th

n 51%

esponsible fon

ccident, the b

o

est

unt

ould be tot

lly

bsolved of li

bility.

ddition

lly, Tex

s does not h

ve

ny li

bility fo

soci

l hosts, unless the host h

s given

lcohol to

mino

ho is not thei

o

n child.

fte not

ble d

m shop l

suit in 1983, Tex

s expe

ienced

6.5% dec

e

se in single-vehicle nighttime

ccidents th

t c

used inju

y,

ith

5.8% dec

e

se the follo

ing ye

.

D

m Shop L

in Louisi

n

ss=”

p-im

ge-68377

lign

ight” s

c="https:

/c

inju

yvictims.comp-content

uplo

ds

2021/01/Sc

eenshot-2021-01-12-

t-10.13.44-

M-300x199.png"

lt=”Houston D

I

ccident L

ye

"

idth=”366″ height=”243″ />Louisi

n

does not h

ve dm shop ls. In f

ct, Louisi

n

l

ctu

lly p

otects est

blishments

nd soci

l hosts f

om li

bility.

Unde

<

h

ef="http:

/legis.l

.gov

Legis/L

.

spx?d=107251" tget="_bl

nk”

el="nofollo

noopene

no

efe

e

"> Louisi

n

l<>:

• -level=”1″>Consuming
  lcoholic beveges is the p

  oxim

  te c

  use of inju

  y

  nd p

  ope

  ty d

  m

  ge, not se

  ving beveges to

  nothe

  .<

  li>

• i
  -level="1">Businesses o

  employees

  ho sell o

  se

  ve

  lcohol

  e not li

  ble fo

  inju

  y, de

  th, o

  p

  ope

  ty d

  m

  ge c

  used by

  n intoxic

  ted pe

  son.<

  li>

• i
  -level="1">Soci

  l hosts

  ho se

  ve o

  supply

  lcohol to thei

  guests c

  nnot be held li

  ble fo

  inju

  y, de

  th, o

  p

  ope

  ty d

  m

  ge c

  used by

  n intoxic

  ted pe

  son.<

  li>

Ho

eve

, the

e e

fe

scenios in

hich

Louisi

n

cou

t might hold

thi

d p

ty p

ti

lly li

ble fo

d

unk d

iving

ccident, such

s:

• i
  -level="1">

  business, employee, o

  soci

  l host se

  ves

  lcohol to

  mino
• i
  -level="1">Someone fo

  ces someone else to consume

  lcoholic beveges<

  li>

• i
  -level="1">

  business o

  employee cl

  ims

  n

  lcoholic beve

  ge is non-

  lcoholic, misle

  ding

  custome

D

m Shop L

in C

lifo

ni

<

h3>
C

lifo

ni

Civil Code section 1714 limits thi

d-p

ty li

bility fo

d

unk d

iving

ccidents by st

ting “the fu

nishing of

lcoholic beve

ges is not the p

oxim

te c

use of inju

ies

esulting f

om intoxic

tion, but the

the consumption of

lcoholic beveges is the p

oxim

te c

use of inju

ies." Ho

eve

, the

e

e exceptions. One is

hen

ny p

ent, gu

di

n, o

othe

dult,

t thei

pl

ce of

esidence, kno

ingly p

ovides

lcohol to

nyone belo

21 yes of

ge. In this c

se, the

dult c

n be held li

ble fo

ny d

m

ge done by the mino

, to themself o

othe

s.

nothe

exception is

hen

business p

ovides

lcohol “to

ny obviously intoxic

ted mino

.”

Fu

the

mo

e, pe

C

lifo

ni

Business &

mp; P

ofessions Code §25602, it is

misdeme

no

to sell, give

y, o

othe

ise p

ovide

n

lcoholic bevege to:

• -level=”1″>
  ny “h

  bitu

  l o

  common d

  unkd”<

  li>

• i
  -level="1">

  ny “obviously intoxic

  ted pe

  son”

D

m Shop L

in Geo

gi

Geo

gi

’s d

m shop l

c

n be found in Section 51-1-40 of the Geo

gi

Code. It st

tes th

t in genel, the consumption of

lcohol, not the s

le o

fu

nishing of

lcohol, “is the p

oxim

te c

use of

ny inju

y, including de

th

nd p

ope

ty d

m

ge, inflicted by

n intoxic

ted pe

son upon himself o

upon

nothe

pe

son.”

Ho

eve

, Geo

gi

’s d

m shop l

is

little mo

e specific th

n othe

st

tes in th

t it’s

ll

bout context. It only holds businesses, se

ve

s,

nd soci

l hosts li

ble if:

• -level=”1″>they se
  ve

  lcohol to

  minoithout

  p

  ent’s pe

  mission<

  li>

• i
  -level="1">they se

  ve

  lcohol to

  notice

  bly intoxic

  ted pe

  son, kno

  ing th

  t the pe

  son “

  ill soon be d

  iving

  moto

  vehicle”

It c

n be t

icky to p

ove

hethe

o

not the se

ve

kne

the customeould soon be d

iving

moto

vehicle, but

c

ccident l

ye

c

n help you compile the evidence you need.

Get Help f

om

D

unk D

iving

ccident L

ye

No

By m

king

esponsible choices, p

t

ons

nd employees h

ve the po

e

to p

event d

unk d

iving

ccidents.

hile btende

s do not h

ve

n oblig

tion to sn

tch

nyone's keys o

nge

lte

n

te

ides home, they do h

ve

leg

l

esponsibility not to ove

se

ve

ny of thei

custome

s.

hen

n est

blishment ove

se

ves

lcoholic d

inks, it c

n t

igge

domino effect th

t ends

ith

d

unk d

iving

ccident, dest

oying lives

nd dev

st

ting f

milies. If

b

p

io

itizes p

ofiting f

om

lcoholic d

ink s

les ove

the s

fety of the community, they must be held

ccount

ble. If you o loved one s inju

ed in

d

unk d

iving

ccident,

e c

n help you fight fo

justice. Spe

k

ith

n expe

ienced pe

son

l inju

y l

ye

nd get you

f

ee c

se ev

lu

tion no

.