By JW Law
Unfortunately, motor vehicle accidents are a fact of life, and at times cause catastrophic, life-altering injuries or death to their victims. What is particularly troublesome is when an accident is caused by a drunk driver. It is easy to blame a drunk driver, but we need to remember how those drivers became drunk. In many situations, the drivers were served alcohol at a party, or at a bar or restaurant, and were allowed to leave when someone knew or should have known that they were drunk. In those situations, a claim can be made under our law against the bar or social host who was responsible for allowing the driver to become intoxicated and then drive.
Recently, attorneys at Javerbaum Wurgaft have been successful in holding bars and restaurants responsible under New Jersey’s “dram shop” laws. Francisco Rodriguez, a partner in the Jersey City office of Javerbaum Wurgaft, successfully settled a case on behalf of a family who lost a 21-year-old at the hands of a drunk driver for $1.35 million dollars against both the driver and a Hudson County bar. Frank said “no matter how much money is received it will not give the family back their son and brother, however, society must enforce the rules about drinking and driving for the safety of others.”
Frank’s settlement comes on the heels of Eric Kahn’s settlement of a case for $3.1 million dollars against a drunk driver as well as the restaurant where he was drinking immediately before the accident occurred. Mr, Kahn, the managing partner at Javerbaum Wurgaft working primarily out of its Springfield office, said “while my client will never recover from her injuries, it was important to hold both the drunk driver responsible as well as the restaurant that over served him on the afternoon of the accident. Our dram shop laws are designed not only to compensate victims of accidents involving in drunk drivers, but also to act as a deterrent to establishments that are more concerned about profits from selling alcohol rather than the safety of others.”
In order to make our roads and highways safer for everyone, people who serve alcohol must be held accountable when serving alcohol for profit. If you or a loved one has been injured at the hands of a drunk driver, or someone you suspected was drinking, call Javerbaum Wurgaft and talk to a lawyer familiar with the law who can help you.
