Dram Shop Liability | Sue a Bar for Injuries Caused by a Drunk Driver

Why Should I Sue a Bar or Restaurant After A DUI Crash?

In many states, there are laws that prohibit bars and restaurants from serving alcohol to a minor, a drunk customer, or after hours. When a business violates one of these laws and serves alcohol to someone they are not supposed to serve, they become responsible for that person’s actions.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in an accident with a drunk driver, a bar or restaurant may be legally responsible for the crash. Dram shop liability law gives you the right to sue a bar or restaurant for injuries caused by a drunk driver. Our lawyers can help you file a DUI or DWI personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.

Dram shop claims (claims against bars or restaurants) often represent an important component of an accident case involving a DUI or DWI.

Oftentimes, drunk driving accidents result in serious injuries that can have a lasting impact. Victims can have substantial hospital bills and they might not be able to work again after the accident. It takes a substantial amount of money to cover these costs.

Suing a bar or restaurant might be the only way to get the money you need after your crash because drivers that cause accidents when they are drunk often have very little insurance, and sometimes they have none at all.

Attorney Eric Hageman
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Filing a Dram Shop Lawsuit Against a Bar or Restaurant

In order to protect your rights, our lawyers act quickly when pursuing a dram shop claim. Verifying the obvious intoxication of a patron often relies on the eyewitness testimony of employees and other patrons who were present. By locating and interviewing these witnesses quickly, we avoid potentially losing track of the witnesses as well as the possible blurring of memory as time passes.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit?

The “statute of limitations” (time for filing a lawsuit) can differ from those that apply to the rest of the case. If a lawsuit against the bar or other dram shop is not made within that time frame, you can potentially lose the right to pursue the claim at all.

Drunk Driving Laws in Minnesota

A wrongful death case against a dram shop does not require the appointment of a trustee (which is required for most other wrongful death claims). Instead, the surviving spouse and next of kin each bring their own claim. Wrongful death cases have strict, statutory deadlines. If your spouse or next of kin was killed in a car accident and that person or another driver was intoxicated, you may have a wrongful death claim.