Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Manhattan, New York

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The drunk driving accident lawyers of the Manhattan, New York law firm of Proner & Proner have a thorough knowledge of dram shop liability laws and use this knowledge to the advantage of their clients.  Dram shop liability laws were enacted to hold bars and taverns accountable when extremely intoxicated patrons get behind the wheel and end up killing or severely injuring others.

While these laws are controversial, dram shop liability legislation is intended to cut down on the number of drunk drivers on our nation’s roadways.  If bar owners or bartenders know that they can be penalized for allowing someone who is clearly too drunk to drive to do so, they will be more likely to act conscionably in dealing with such patrons.

Arguments for personal accountability pale when one considers that inebriated individuals often fail to behave or think rationally.  Given this, it is in the best interests of those who supply alcohol to be aware of how their product is affecting customers and do what they can to keep them and others out of harm’s way.

The drunk driving accident lawyers of Proner & Proner in New York understand how dram shop liability laws work and help those who have lost a family member to a drunk driving accident.

What Are Dram Shop Liability Laws?

The term “dram,” coined in the 17th century, refers to a liquid measurement equivalent to a spoon or thimble full of liquor.    Given that lawsuits filed against business or social establishments are based on the amount of alcohol provided to their patrons, “dram shop liability” was adopted as the name to describe this area of law.

Dram shop liability laws vary from state to state and may involve the doctrine of comparative negligence as regards the accident itself.  Under these laws, people may also be held accountable for selling alcohol to minors who are later involved in a motor vehicle accident or are killed due to alcohol consumption.  Because dram shop liability is a highly complex area of law, it pays to hire drunk driving accident lawyers who understand the wide ranging implications of such claims.

Dram Shop Laws and Comparative Negligence

In some states, more than one alcoholic vendor can be held accountable for the impairment of an individual who injured or killed someone else in a drunk driving accident.  This is where dram shop liability and comparative negligence often meet up.

The following is a good example of a situation in which this would be the case.  Imagine that someone participates in a bar crawl that involves five night spots.  If this person is involved in a drunk driving accident that kills a family, any or all participating pubs and taverns could be held partly responsible for the wrongful death along with the driver of the automobile.  This may include even the first bar visited prior to the individual’s intoxication.

Again, these laws are controversial, but they do aid in making businesses look out for more than their bottom lines when serving up drinks.

Contact Our Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers

With so many complexities, dram shop liability laws can be confusing.  If you or someone you care about has been harmed in a drunk driving accident, it is important that you entrust your case to experienced personal injury and drunk driving accident lawyers such as those at the Manhattan, New York law firm of Proner & Proner. Contact Proner & Proner today for your free case evaluation.