In Massachusetts, it is against the law for any establishment that sells alcohol to serve a visibly intoxicated person. If a bartender or server continues to sell alcohol to a patron who is obviously drunk and that person’s actions later cause harm to another person, the bar or restaurant could be held liable for compensating the victim. The most common way this happens is in a drunk driving vehicle crash. An experienced car accident injury lawyer can assist with this type of case. If it's a worst case scenario, do not overlook local wrongful death attorneys.
What Can You Do If You Are a Victim of a Drunk Driver?
If you were seriously injured or a loved one was killed by a drunk driver, you can file a claim with their insurance company to compensate you for your medical bills and other losses. However, you can only get as much as the driver carries in insurance. If they have the minimum coverage required by Massachusetts, for example, that means you could only get $20,000 in damages. You might also be able to seek punitive damages in a drunk driving case, but those damages are only awarded by a judge if he or she believes that the driver’s actions were particularly egregious, so they are not guaranteed.
The kind of catastrophic injuries caused by a drunk driving crash can result in medical bills, lost wages, long-term rehabilitation, and extensive pain and suffering, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. To help offset these costs, your attorney can investigate whether the drunk driver was served irresponsibly in a bar or restaurant. If it can be proved—through video footage or eyewitness testimony, for example—that the driver was served alcohol despite being visibly intoxicated, you should have a strong claim against the bar. Massachusetts bars and restaurants usually carry liability insurance for just such a purpose.
Mahaney & Pappas, LLP, Will Ensure That You Are Fully Compensated
Going after the driver and the bar that served him is not about a payday. It is about holding them accountable for their negligence and getting you the money you will need to recover as fully as possible from the tragic accident that changed your life. Our DUI car accident attorney will pursue all available sources of compensation. Please contact us if you or a loved one was the victim of a drunk driver in Massachusetts. We will get to work for you.
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