Survivor Of Drunk Driving Crash Sues Charleston Bar Where At Fault Driver Got Drunk

If you have heard of dram shop liability, it is probably only the most sensationalized aspect of this legal concept. This is especially true in South Carolina, which witnessed a horrific accident that resulted in a dram shop liability lawsuit. Several years ago, a drunk driver struck a golf cart that had just left a wedding reception, killing the bride and injuring the groom and two other members of the wedding party. The family sued at least one of the bars where the drunk driver had bought alcohol before the accident for dram shop liability. You have probably also heard of people who got injured in single vehicle accidents after drinking at a bar and then sued the bar where the employees failed to help the drunk driver get home safely instead of driving drunk. Just because your accident was not such a newsworthy scenario does not mean that you cannot cite dram shop liability in your request for compensatory damages. If you got injured in an accident where the at fault driver got drunk at a bar before hitting your car, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.

Dram Shop Liability Protects the Occupants of the Drunk Driver’s Vehicle and the Occupants of the Struck Vehicle

One evening in 2021, Morgan Swain went to the Local 616 bar in Charleston after attending a party where she had consumed alcohol. After drinking more at the bar, which had a reputation for continuing to serve alcohol after the patrons were drunk, she attempted to get home. She collided with Emily Hecht’s car in a head-on collision on the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge; Swain died at the scene of the accident, and Hecht suffered permanent injuries; in the first year after the accident, she had already incurred more than $100,000 in medical bills. An investigation revealed that, when Swain left Local 616, her blood alcohol content (BAC) was more than three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Hecht’s lawyer filed a claim against Swain’s estate, but Swain’s insurance company settled the claim, so it did not result in litigation. He then filed a dram ship liability lawsuit against Local 616, alleging that the employees should have known that Swain was too drunk to drive and that they should have refused to serve her alcohol and ensured that she had a way to get home that did not involve driving.

The news reports did not indicate whether Swain’s family filed a dram shop liability lawsuit against Local 616 or any other establishments that served her alcohol on the night of the accident. Under South Carolina’s dram shop liability laws, they have the right to do so.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you get adequate compensation for your medical bills and other accident-related expenses after a car accident caused by a drunk driver.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

postandcourier.com/news/dui-ravenel-bridge-head-on-collusion/article_ce1e2fc8-50e3-11ef-96e9-03bca86c43e7.html