Serving Alcohol (Dram Shop)
Pennsylvania Lawyer Representing Families Injured By Drunk Drivers
In drunk driving cases, much of the focus is on the person who got behind the wheel while intoxicated. While they clearly bear responsibility for the accidents they cause, the people who served the alcohol to the drunk driver in the first place also bear responsibility for the death or serious injury that results. Hotels, taverns and restaurant owners have an obligation to keep an eye on their patrons and not serve them when they show signs of intoxication.
Investigating Your Case
In these cases, it is very important that we speak to the witnesses who were on the premises and can verify that the driver was served when he or she should not have been. Obviously, the bartender will never admit that the person was showing signs of intoxication, so it is absolutely critical that an experienced lawyer talk to other witnesses who were in the bar and establish what condition the driver was in when he or she was allowed to keep drinking.
Scientific Evidence In Drunk Driving Accidents
It is also important to establish through scientific evidence exactly how impaired the driver was. That typically involves analyzing blood alcohol results with the assistance of a chemist and/or toxicologist. We have used those experts in the past to help us plot timelines to establish how impaired someone would have been at the time he or she visited the bar where he or she was served.
Over the past 30 years, the attorneys at Gismondi & Associates have successfully handled a variety of cases involving death or serious injury caused by drunk drivers, including:
- A high seven-figure award on behalf of a Pittsburgh man rendered quadriplegic in an accident caused by a driver who became intoxicated while attending a baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium.
- A recovery in excess of $1 million on behalf of a young woman who suffered serious head and facial injuries while riding on a motorcycle that was hit by a drunk driver.
- A significant six-figure recovery on behalf of a young Pittsburgh woman who suffered a femur fracture and other leg injuries when her vehicle was struck by a drunk driver who crossed the center line.
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If you have lost a loved one due to someone else’s carelessness, call us now for a free consultation toll free at 1-888-529-1255. And remember, we always return phone calls. Our attorneys handle personal injury cases throughout Pennsylvania.
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