Georgia Injury Law Blog
In addition to the at-fault driver, it is possible to hold other people or entities responsible for injuries caused in a drunk driving accident. Under Georgia’s dram shop laws, sellers and servers of alcohol can be sued for monetary compensation if they have acted negligently.
Dram shop liability refers to the exposure commercial establishments such as restaurants, bars, liquor stores, hotels, or clubs have related to the sale of alcohol to customers. Georgia’s dram shop laws make a commercial drinking establishment like a pub or club liable for damages if the establishment serves alcohol to minors under the age of 21. The laws also allow an alcohol provider to be held liable when an establishment serves alcohol to a person who is noticeably intoxicated and is likely to drive a car after.
It is important to understand that an experienced dram shop attorney often makes all the difference in these complex cases. For example, the dram shop laws in Georgia do require that commercial establishment employees be aware that an intoxicated person intends to operate a motor vehicle after drinking. That makes it more challenging for drunk driving accident victims and their families to hold a commercial establishment legally liable for damages. Staff members frequently claim that they had no way of knowing how the intoxicated person would travel after leaving the drinking hole.