Driving under the influence of alcohol significantly increases the risk of a car accident, and this irresponsible conduct can have devastating results on victims. If you are the victim of a drunk driving accident, or another incident involving public drunkenness, you should not need to handle these matters alone.
A Boston dram shop liability lawyer from Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers can assist you during this challenging time. While you may be a direct victim of a drunk driver, damages might have been avoided if the bar liquor store refused to give alcohol to the irresponsible individual. Holding a dram shop accountable for increasing the risk of injury or death is essential, and we’re prepared to point you in the right direction.
How to Hold a Boston Dram Shop Accountable for Your Injuries
If you get into an accident with a drunk driver, a dram shop could be responsible for your losses. Bars, clubs, liquor stores, and other storefronts that can sell alcoholic beverages hold some responsibility for exercising caution and rejecting requests from their guests. To hold a Boston dram shop responsible for your damages and losses, you can do the following:
- Prove they owe you a duty of care: Dram shops may owe a duty of care toward their customers, including refusing to make a sale if an individual is intoxicated. Maintaining the well-being of visitors and other guests may be their responsibility.
- Show duty of care is broken: Also called negligence, a broken duty of care can have legal implications for the dram shop. You will need to find evidence showing the dram shop’s employer or employees have acted negligently, like selling alcohol to a customer when they are unfit to drive. Their irresponsibility could be perceived as willingly allowing their guest to put others in danger and increasing the risk of a drunk driving accident.
- Find proof the dram shop caused damages: Showing that negligence has directly led to injuries or other losses is also important in holding dram shops accountable for their actions. This may require you to collect evidence, including police reports, video and photos, and other information.
- Prove your losses resulted in adverse effects: Injury-related payments often include medical bills. However, these may have other losses like wage loss, property damage, legal fees, and more. Falling victim to a drunk driving accident after the at-fault driver leaves a bar or other dram shop can be incredibly expensive.
Please get in touch with a lawyer if you want help holding a Boston dram shop accountable for your losses. Proving liability can be complex, but a Boston dram shop liability attorney can help reduce the stress you may experience during legal matters. Your dram shop liability lawyer can help you collect and analyze evidence, join or lead investigations, and display your version of events favorably and fairly.
Who Is Liable for Dram Shop-Related Losses in Boston?
Many parties can be liable for injuries or other damages you suffer, and often the best way to receive adequate compensation for your losses is to determine who is responsible and take legal action against them. While a bar, club, or another dram shop may be liable for your losses, other parties may also hold responsibility. Before taking legal action, we recommend you consider the following individuals:
- Dram shop employer
- Dram shop employees
- Premises owner or renter
- Drunken visitors
- Pedestrians
- Passengers
- Other drivers
- Parts, equipment, or vehicle manufacturers
- City or state government
- Any others who may have been present
Depending on the circumstances, more than one party may be responsible for your losses. Because of the associated difficulties with this process, we recommend you work with a Boston dram shop liability attorney. Your lawyer can speak on your behalf, complete and file paperwork, maintain your schedule, and more.
What Compensation Can You Collect From Boston Dram Shop-Related Losses?
Following a drunk driving incident, you may be entitled to compensation for losses. Another party choosing to drive while intoxicated is dangerous, and they should be held responsible. A dram shop, like a bar, liquor store, club, or grocery store, should also be liable if they willingly supply excess alcohol to the responsible party. Especially if you suffer severe injuries and injury-related expenses, you may be able to receive compensation for the following:
- Legal fees
- Medical bills
- Property damage
- Wage loss
- Loss of wage-earning potential
- Loss of consortium or companionship
- Wrongful death
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Scarring and disfigurement
We recommend you work with a Boston dram shop liability lawyer for assistance identifying other damages you are entitled to, increasing and maintaining the value of your claims, and collecting the compensation you require to focus on your recovery.
What Should You Do After a Dram Shop-Related Accident in Boston?
After you get into a dram shop-related accident, we recommend you follow a few steps. These can help you find legal success. We want you to consider the following next steps:
- Seek medical attention
- Collect information and evidence
- Stay off social media
- Avoid discussing your case with others
- File a claim with your insurance
- Speak with a lawyer
While lawyers may seem expensive, most Boston dram shop liability lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you only pay your lawyer when you win. Further, you can win compensation for legal fees without adding stress to your financial situation. Given this information, we encourage you to refrain from representing yourself during legal matters.
Want to Hold a Dram Shop in Boston Liable? Speak With a Lawyer
From Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers Today If you face injuries and other losses partly due to the negligence of a dram shop, we recommend you contact our team. Sweeney Merrigan Personal Injury Lawyers claim accolades from outlets such as Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers, so you can trust us to work hard toward the results you deserve. We work with fantastic lawyers, including attorney Erin E. McHugh, a Super Lawyers 2022 Rising Star.
We invite you to contact our team to begin discussing your case, receiving additional helpful information, and putting any concerns and questions to rest. You can do so by calling (774) 217-7778 or completing our contact form at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers look forward to hearing from you and learning more about your case.
