Bar / Party Host Liability
The Pennsylvania Liquor Code contains Dram Shop liability laws that apply to businesses serving alcohol to customers. Under Dram Shop laws, an establishment may be responsible for certain injuries that are caused by individuals to whom the establishment served alcohol. Common Dram Shop violations include:
- Serving alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person
- Selling alcohol without a license
- Selling alcohol after hours
- Selling alcohol to a minor
In addition to the Dram Shop laws that apply to vendors and businesses in the Keystone State, it is important to understand that individuals can also be held liable under Social Host laws if minors consume alcohol on their premises and injures another party. Accidents involving a person driving under the influence (DUI) can result in extremely serious injuries or fatalities.
Whether it was the bartender, a server, or some other employee of a bar, restaurant, or other establishment, that business may be held liable if someone they hired committed any Dram Shop violation that ultimately resulted in injuries to a third party. With social host laws, a person hosting a party or other get-together can be liable if a minor consumes alcohol on that person’s premises, even if the host did not directly serve the minor or had no idea that the minor was consuming alcohol.
Because Dram Shop cases hinge on individuals being served after they were already intoxicated, it is exceptionally common for the establishments that may be liable to claim their employees did not know or could not have known that the person’s level of intoxication exceeded the legal limit. Businesses will often have lawyers who attempt to reduce an establishment’s liability by having multiple employees claim that the allegedly intoxicated person showed no previous symptoms of being under the influence.
These types of cases require extremely thorough investigations and the DUI accident attorneys at Ciccarelli Law Offices work as a team to collect evidence and hold negligent businesses accountable for injuries or deaths caused by serving alcohol to people who were already intoxicated. Our firm handles these cases on a contingency fee basis so our clients do not have to pay us anything unless we get them a monetary award first.
Contact Our PA Personal Injury Lawyers
We are a team of Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers our main offices located in West Chester, Chester County Pennsylvania and serving clients throughout the greater Philadelphia Metro Area including Lancaster County, Berks County, Bucks County, Delaware County and Montgomery County. If your family has been victimized by the negligence of another and you are seeking a free initial consult on you rights and possible claims, it is crucial you speak to an experienced Pennsylvania Injury lawyers in order to ensure your rights are protected and to review all of your legal options with you.
The Injury attorneys of Ciccarelli Law Offices have successfully represented individuals throughout the state of Pennsylvania that have been injured in accidents. Our Chester County based law firm is based at 304 North High Street, West Chester PA 19380 and serves clients throughout Pennsylvania including but not limited to in Kennett Square, Downingtown, West Chester, Coatesville, Exton, Chester Springs, Chadds Ford, Landenberg, Lancaster, Media, Harrisburg, Reading, Philadelphia, Honey Brook, Oxford, Malvern, Parkesburg, Phoenixville and Paoli. Contact us now at (610) 692-8700 or call toll free (877) 529-2422. Don’t wait—contact an attorney immediately.