On Monday, July 27, 2020, a young man’s 2004 Honda Accord was struck, leaving him with fatal wounds. The accident occurred when he pulled out of the “Club X” nightclub parking lot directly into another vehicle’s path. The other vehicle, a 2013 Dodge Ram, hit the Accord with such force that it flipped on impact, killing the Accord’s driver and leaving the Dodge Ram’s operator in critical, but eventually stable, condition.
Events and details surrounding the fatal crash are still under investigation. A devastating accident may lead some to ask about dram shop laws.
What is Georgia’s Dram Shop Law?
Dram shop law applies to every city in the state of Georgia, including Macon, providing sober individuals affected by a drunk driver with compensation if the individual under-the-influence was overserved by another vendor. Dozier Law Firm, a team comprised of expert attorneys, explains:
“Georgia’s Dram Shop law is located in O.C.G.A.§ 51-1-40, and it allows victims of drunk drivers to recover from the vendor who furnished the alcohol to the drunk driver,” says Dozier Law Firm. “A victim can recover from a vendor who furnished any amount of alcohol to an underage person who then causes an accident. To recover for damages suffered by an overage intoxicated person, three conditions must first be proven.
“First, the furnisher of the alcohol must willfully and knowingly sell, furnish, or serve alcoholic beverages to a person who is noticeably intoxicated. Second, the person providing the alcohol must know the intoxicated person will soon be driving a motor vehicle. Finally, the alcohol consumed by the intoxicated person must be the proximate cause of the injury or the accident. Typically, the law is applied to bars, restaurants, and other commercial vendors; however, in certain situations, it can be applied to private hosts who overserve their guests.”
In the case of this particular auto accident, if it were shown that the at-fault driver was served while clearly intoxicated and that this serving was the primary cause of the crash, the other affected driver may receive compensation. In this instance, the bar would be subject to compensate the Ram’s driver for damages suffered.
Knowing your rights in the event of a tragic accident is crucial, as this knowledge may help you better recover physically and financially.
Macon Car Accident Attorneys
The experts at Dozier Law Firm are well-versed in helping people affected by devastating accidents recover from losses suffered in motor-vehicle accidents – especially when alcohol is involved. If you or someone you love has been injured in a car crash in Macon or another part of the state of Georgia, call your local team of attorneys to learn more today.
For more information on how Dozier Law Firm can help you recover from car and truck accidents near Atlanta, pedestrian accidents, slips and falls, wrongful deaths, dog bites, and more, call one of our locations in Macon (478-742-8441), Savannah (912-239-4395), Albany-Tifton (229-299-9590), or Atlanta (404-800-0308). You can also visit us online at https://dozierlaw.com/.
