BLOG

While the average Florida bar will always tout their commitment to “responsible” drinking, the average Florida resident does not always feel the love. There are a few key factors that businesses must bear in mind when selling alcohol [http://goo.gl/UBmn5V]. This is how these businesses can avoid being on the business end of a phone call from a car accident attorney.

There are certain circumstances where bars can be viewed as having a sizable amount of liability for the over serving of their customers. Florida residents who find themselves contacting a car accident attorney after one of these incidents may not be fully aware of the level of recourse that they may have in these instances.

Dram Shop Laws

The vast majority of states have dram shop laws in place. Florida is not an exception to these rules. Even strip clubs have found themselves facing lawsuits [http://goo.gl/KL2bEa] because of these ordinances. Under these laws, any bar or location that serves alcoholic beverages is held responsible if a patron is over served and causes injury or damages.

These locations are expected to be able to determine who is of legal drinking age and who is not. Being able to tell if a patron is over the age of 21 is a start. From there, having the ability to prove that the establishment knowingly over served the patron is going to play a major role in the outcome of the case.

How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help?

They are able to take a closer look at the facts of your case and they are sure to let you know whether it is viable. Let’s say that the client in question was at the bar on the day in question and they were noticeably intoxicated. Maybe the client was slurring their speech or behaving in a manner that made it impossible not to notice their level of intoxication.

Bars are often found liable in these instances, especially if the over served patron decided to drive home and cause an accident that could have been prevented. Wrongful death claims are filed on a regular basis because of these accidents. An experienced attorney can let their client know if their case happens to fall into such a category.

Proving fault is not always easy, though. A bartender can argue in favor of the establishment. They can claim that the patron was already intoxicated when they arrived. None of this means that a client should sit back and accept whatever outcome they are given. In any case such as this one, it is important to take the time to sit down and speak with an attorney. They will give you the tools that you need to prove fault.