Liquor Sales Liability Attorney

In 2011, 31 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S. involved alcohol-impaired driving crashes according to the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It’s no surprise that many of these car crashes result in wrongful death or personal injury lawsuits in an attempt to hold intoxicated drivers accountable for the injuries and losses they caused.

To legally serve beer, liquor, wine and other alcoholic beverages to customers in Texas and most of the other states across the nation, a business must apply for and receive a license.  This license requires the license holder to safely and responsibly serve alcohol, which means not serving minors or obviously intoxicated customers.  The policy behind not serving obviously intoxicated customers more alcohol recognizes that excessive service of alcohol impairs a person’s judgment to know when to stop drinking beyond a point that exposes the person drinking and the community at large to an increased risk of injury.  Numerous studies support that greater levels of intoxication increase impairment to mental judgment and physical motor skills.  Consequently, when intoxicated persons get in the car and drive, the risk of them getting into a car crash increases significantly the more intoxicated that they are.
In passing laws prohibiting licensed alcohol servers to serve obviously intoxicated customers, States acknowledge the danger of over-serving customers and make bars liable for the harms caused by over-serving customers and the intoxicated-related car crashes that can result.

At Bryan K. Harris PC, Texas liquor liability attorneys handle cases against drunk drivers as well as establishments that sell alcohol irresponsibly to these individuals, without regard to policies and procedures regarding alcohol safety.

If you or your loved one has been injured as a result of reckless driving by an intoxicated driver, contact a dram shop liability lawyer. We can help you go after the responsible parties and ensure that they are held accountable for their reckless deeds.

Drunk Driving Liability Cases

Drunk driving cases are relatively easy to pursue in court. All that needs to be proved before the court is that the driver was intoxicated and that this alcohol impairment caused injury or death to another person.

Under the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Transportation, any person having a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or higher is deemed alcohol-impaired.

In 2011, nearly 10,000 people died in traffic accidents resulting from the operation of vehicles by alcohol-impaired drivers; that’s an average of one fatality for every 53 minutes. Moreover, fatal crashes arising from alcohol-impaired driving were four times greater at night.

Young adults aged 21 to 24 years old accounted for the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes. In addition, alcohol-impaired driving fatal accidents were common among motorcycle drivers.

The Texas liquor liability attorneys at Bryan K. Harris PC offer effective legal representation on behalf of the victims and/or their families for injuries or death associated with alcohol-impaired driving cases. Our experienced and reputable attorneys will help you seek justice and obtain the full amount of compensation possible.

Dram Shop Liability Cases

Establishments that serve beer, liquor, wine, and other alcoholic beverages to their patrons have the responsibility to refuse service if it becomes apparent that their patrons are already intoxicated.
Dram shop cases are more complex because of the subjectivity of the main question involved: Whether or not the person was obviously intoxicated, which would have warranted the refusal by the establishment to serve more liquor or alcohol to the patron.

Many specific matters need to be addressed during the course of a dram shop investigation, including the time elapsed between the alcohol consumption and the time of the accident. Many intervening causes like this may raise the question of whether the intoxication was the actual cause of the accident.

The dram shop liability lawyers at Bryan K. Harris PC are highly familiar and knowledgeable in the complexities of building a strong case against the alcohol-serving establishments.

Taking Legal Action

Too much alcohol in the body can impair your mental faculties and senses. It also drastically affects your decision-making skills.

The State of Texas understands how alcohol can affect a person. For this reason, laws have been enacted to ensure that individuals consume alcohol moderately and responsibly. This is for the safety of the driver as well as for the public. Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated can be a very dangerous thing for everyone, not just for the drunk driver.

When these laws are violated, the driver and other liable parties have the responsibility to answer for their faults and compensate the victims. The Texas liquor liability attorneys at Bryan K. Harris PC have extensive experience, knowledge and skill in bringing dram shop liability cases before the court on behalf of those who have been injured or died as a result of alcohol-impaired driving accidents.

Contact the injury attorneys at Bryan K. Harris PC today for a free case evaluation with a dram shop liability lawyer.