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St. Patrick’s Trouble – Sue the Bar?

by | Mar 11, 2022 | Allen A. Ritchie, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Personal Injury

 

We just got past Mardi Gras, and now it is St. Patrick’s Day. There is a lot of celebrating going on in Mobile, which can mean trouble.

I have often spoken about how you need to take responsibility for your drinking – call an Uber or have a designated driver. But today, let me focus on when you are the victim of an excessive drinker.

You may be in a traffic accident with a drinker or assaulted on the street, but no matter the cause, someone needs to be held accountable and pay for your injuries. I am not only talking about your medical bills. You have other losses like your pain and suffering, lost wages, and damage to your property.

One of the sad truths of the law and life is that many drunks don’t have any real money. At least not the type of money you will need to get well. Also, many of these people do not have insurance that could pay these bills. So, what can you do? Well, I’ll tell you what I do. I sue the business that sold these drinkers the alcohol.

It is against the law in Alabama to serve a drunk person. A bar or restaurant which knowingly sells to an excessive drinker can be held responsible and forced to pay. And more than that, the business can be forced to pay additional money as a deterrent, so they hopefully will never do it again.

There are two primary reasons I pursue this action. Number one, I believe a business is responsible for operating in the public good. You want to sell liquor, fine … but do it so that no one gets hurt. Number two, and perhaps more importantly, businesses have insurance to cover just this type of situation.

Suing a business is not easy to win, but I think it is worth the fight.

If you suffer from a personal injury like an auto accident, railroad accident, wrongful death claim, or slip and fall, you can talk to us at the Law Firm of Eiland and Ritchie for free. We want to help you get back on your feet.

Also, join us on NBC 15 LawCall here in Mobile every Sunday night at 10:30, right after the news. We will take your calls live. We do like answering your questions. We also have lawyers standing by at our offices on Monday mornings.

Allen Ritchie

Mobile Personal Injury Attorney

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