Alcohol Related Injuries

Liquor Liability Injuries – Alcohol-Related Injuries – Dram Shop Injuries

Losing a loved one is always difficult. Losing a loved one to something that could have been prevented means someone could be held responsible. Liquor liability, or “dram shop”, laws in Pennsylvania cover places of business including bars, clubs, liquor stores and restaurants as well as private events that serve alcohol to someone who is already visibly intoxicated or underage who then goes on to break the law or get in an accident that injures themselves or others. The name “dram shop” refers an old term used in England, where gin used to be sold by the spoonful, or “dram.”

The laws on liquor liability and alcohol-related injuries differ from state to state, but in many states including Pennsylvania, a business or individual who gives alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person is also legally responsible for any damage that person might cause and may be held liable in a civil suit. Like many other types of cases, evidence (i.e., indicators of intoxication) can be contested. Therefore, it is important to have a team of skilled investigators and experts like those at Messa & Associates on your side to help establish dram shop liability.

The Philadelphia personal injury attorneys at Messa & Associates are experienced in handling Pennsylvania alcohol-related injuries matters, as well as dram shop cases throughout the country.  Our lawyers have had much success pursuing our clients’ claims for alcohol-related injuries:

• Confidential $625K Settlement in Camden County, NJ
  $625,000 settlement for a man who was struck by a drunk driver. The driver was a patron at a bar, where she was visibly intoxicated but continued to be served. The drunk driver consumed approximately nine drinks in a three-hours. After leaving the bar, she struck the Plaintiff as he was standing on the shoulder of the road next to his friend’s disabled vehicle, legally parked and with hazards lights flashing. A blood test revealed the drunk driver’s blood alcohol level to be more than three times the legal limit. The Plaintiff sustained severe injuries.

• Wilson, Estate of Edwin v. Starting Gate Lounge et al.
  $561,000 verdict in Gloucester County, NJ for the family of a man involved in a motor vehicle accident after being served an excessive level of alcohol as a patron at the Defendant’s bar. The Plaintiff refused alcohol by any bartenders or other employees of the bar. He was significantly intoxicated and cognitively cognitively leaving the bar. The Plaintiff was subsequently involved in a motor vehicle accident that caused severe and fatal injuries to his pelvis, lungs, kidneys and heart.  He eventually died three months after the crash partly as a result of the crash and also partly due to subsequent malpractice at Crozer Chester Medical Center. A separate medical malpractice claim is currently being prosecuted against Crozer Chester.

Call the Philadelphia liquor liability attorneys of Messa & Associates  today to discuss your case with a professional who has the knowledge to answer your questions or contact us online.