Restaurants Pay Settlement In Highly Publicized Dram Shop Liability Case
Drunk driving is extraordinarily dangerous and destructive. It accounts for approximately one third of fatal traffic accidents; the rate of drunk driving crashes used to be even higher before laws criminalizing driving under the influence of alcohol went into effect. Even if you manage to avoid the worst-case scenario, the medical bills that result from a drunk driving accident are much more expensive than one person can afford. Therefore, not everyone who gets injured by a drunk driver files a lawsuit against the at fault driver, even if the drunk driver gets convicted of DUI. The law gives people injured in alcohol-related car accidents the right to seek damages from the establishment that served alcohol to the at fault driver in the hours leading up to the accident. This legal concept is called dram shop liability; in the 19th century, establishments that sold alcoholic beverages were called dram shops. To find out whether it is a good idea to file a dram shop liability claim in your case, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.
Defendants Settle With Bride’s Estate After Drunk Driver Hits Golf Cart Leaving Wedding Reception
South Carolina is the ideal place for wedding festivities, but this is a well kept secret unknown to most people outside the Palmetto State. In May 2023, however, the whole world found out when a drunk driver struck a golf cart carrying a bridal couple and two other members of their wedding party as they left their wedding reception in Folly Beach. The bride, Samantha Miller, died from injuries sustained in the collision, and the other three occupants of the golf cart suffered injuries severe enough to require medical treatment. Jamie Komoroski, the driver of the car that hit the golf cart, had a blood alcohol content (BAC) more than three times the legal limit at the time of the collision, and she was driving 65 miles per hour on a road where the speed limit was 25. She faced criminal charges related to drunk driving.
Miller’s husband Aric Hutchinson, who is one of the people injured in the accident, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Miller’s estate. He sued several bars where Komoroski consumed alcohol on the day of the accident, alleging dram shop liability. In September 2023, the Crab Shack and the Folly Deli agreed to pay a settlement to Miller’s estate. Progressive Northern Insurance Company also agreed to a settlement. News sources did not indicate the settlement amount. Hutchinson’s case is still pending against other defendants, including several other restaurants and against Komoroski. Most personal injury and wrongful death cases settle, with the plaintiff receiving adequate damages, without going to trial.
Let Us Help You Today
The car accident lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you recover damages if you were seriously injured when a drunk driver crashed into your car after getting drunk at a bar. Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.
Sources:
usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/10/02/estate-bride-killed-settles-restaurants-served-drunk-driver/71036107007/
usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/05/02/new-bride-killed-drunk-driver-south-carolina/70173698007/
