Strip Club Hit With $1.75 Million Verdict

A DeKalb County, Georgia jury has awarded $1.75 million to the mother of a woman who was killed in a car wreck in 2008. On Labor Day weekend, three years ago, a man who was over-served alcohol by a strip club and attempted to drive home. 

The victim was 22 years old when she was killed, and left behind two small children.

At the time of the collision, the drunk driver was traveling the wrong way on I-20 with a blood alcohol level of 0.398.

The man's blood alcohol level was so high that there was no way that employees of the strip club would not have noticed. In fact, his blood content was almost five times the legal limit which is a level often causing loss of consciousness, loss of bladder control, decreased breathing, coma, and even death. In other words, his level of intoxication was far beyond that which might go unnoticed by others and so high, in fact, that most would be unable to operate a vehicle at all.

The purpose behind a given state's Dram Shop Law is simple -- to discourage a vendor from continuing to serve alcohol to a person that is clearly past their legal limit.  Since the bartender has the choice to stop or continue serving the customer, he or she should be held liable when they ignore the signs of heavy intoxication that later cause major death or injury to another.

How is it that none of the employees at this establishment knew he was this intoxicated or how many drinks they had served him?

Family Awarded $2.9 Million

The family of a 14-year-old girl who was killed in a 2004 hit-and-run crash while she was trying to cross a road has been awarded $2.9 million by a Bucks County, Pennsylvania judge.  The case was decided without a jury.

The girl, who was about to begin ninth grade, fell victim to a hit-and-run accident and killed by a 21-year-old who was intoxicated at the time and was driving with a suspended license. The at-fault driver was arrested for hit-and-run DUI and later plead guilty and is still in prison today. No amount of money will bring this precious little girl back to her family.

However, it allows the family to hold on to the fact that the person responsible for killing their daughter is being held responsible and is not just going to be free to do this to other innocent victims.

If you or someone you love have been injured as a result of someone's  carelessness or recklessness, contact Linton & Associates today for your free consultation. We are Alabama injury lawyers that come to you no matter where you are located. We have the knowledge and the resources to hold accountable those that harm you.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, DUI Accidents, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death.

Keywords:  Hit-And-Run, Hit and Run, DUI Accidents, Pedestrian Hit and Run, 14-Year Old Pennsylvania Girl Hit and Run, Personal Injury, Family Settlement

What Are Dram Shop Laws?

Many people are unaware of laws related to dram shops. In general, these laws make liable vendors that sell or furnish alcohol to people already visibly intoxicated when that person injures another. The act says that a person who knowingly sells alcoholic beverages to a noticeably intoxicated person, knowing that such person will soon be driving, may become liable.

Alabama code section 6-5-71 provides a cause of action for spouses, parents, and children who shall be injured in person, property or means of support by any intoxicated person. This section grants these individuals a right of action against any person who shall by selling, giving, or disposing of alcohol to another, contrary to the provisions of law.

There are many examples of bars, restaurants, convenience stores, etc., putting profits above the safety of others by continuing to provide alcohol to intoxicated patrons. Often times people are injured or killed by a drunk driver and never find out one of the main causes for their injuries was the fact that an establishment continued to serve a drunk patron and did nothing to keep them off the road.

Last month a jury returned a $1 million verdict against a country club in a case where it continued to serve an intoxicated patron and later that patron hit and injured another person. Drinking and driving are a deadly mix and the results can be either serious injury or deaths for innocent victims. If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of a drunk driver, contact us for your free evaluation. We can investigate the circumstances surrounding your injuries and find those responsible that may otherwise go undetected. At Linton & Associates, we are Alabama injury attorneys that focus on drunk driving accidents and alcohol server liability. We have the knowledge and resources to fight for you and win.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death.

Keywords:  Alabama Drunk Driving, Alabama Alcohol Server Liability, Alabama Dram Shop Laws

Jury Awards $11.8 Million in Drunk Driving Accident

A Maryland jury awarded more than $11.8 million last month to a man whose car was rear-ended by a repeat drunk driver in August, 2007.

Michael W. Harris, the Plaintiff, developed a painful and debilitating nerve condition as a result of the crash that has largely confined him to a wheelchair. 

On the afternoon of August 28, 2007, Harris, then working as a landscaper, was stopped at an intersection when the drunk driver hit him from behind.

The driver fled the scene, and when she was finally stopped, she failed two field sobriety tests and was booked for DUI. The woman had a long history of DUIs and was convicted of a separate DUI about a week after the Harris accident. Source: Lawyers USA Online

If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of a drunk driver contact us today at Linton & Associates. We are personal injury lawyers that put you first. We have the experience and resources to to bring the responsible party to justice.

My name is Christopher S. Linton, Attorney at Linton and Associates Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. We specialize in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Premises and Product Liability, Auto Accidents and Infant Injury and Death. 

Keywords:  DUI, Drunk Driving Settlement Maryland, Personal Injury