Widows Sue PA Bars for Serving Drunk Driver

July 1, 2011, two men leading the Last Chance Motorcycle Club, a group of riders who have overcome alcohol and drug addictions, were ironically struck head-on by a drunk driver, resulting in the death of two men and injuries to four others.  Now, the injured men and the widows of the deceased men have filed a lawsuit against the driver responsible and three bars that served alcohol to the drunk driver.

The group of motorcyclists was traveling from New Jersey to a friend’s funeral in Pennsylvania.  As they traveled on Route 512 in Bangor, PA, a pickup made a wide turn, crossed the center line and plowed head-on into the group traveling in the opposite direction. The driver was charged with vehicular homicide while driving drunk and aggravated assault.

Under Pennsylvania’s “dram shop law,” business owners can be held liable for the sale of alcohol to patrons who are clearly and visibly intoxicated. Dram shop laws require that workers at the businesses be aware of visible signs of intoxication such as slurred speech and lack of coordination.  They are required by the law to stop serving alcohol to patrons who display such signs.

According to The Morning Call, the lawsuit alleges the man caused the deaths and injuries because he was drunk, and the bars contributed to the crash by serving him too many alcoholic drinks.  The suit further claims the servers at the bars should have known the man was drunk, and they were “grossly, willfully and wantonly negligent” to continue to serve him alcohol.

If you or a loved one has been injured by another motorist in a drunk driving automobile accident and need knowledgeable legal help, contact the PA car accident attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright.

The Scranton, Pennsylvania attorneys of Munley, Munley & Cartwright have years of experience representing the survivors of wrongful death victims.   For a free consultation of your legal claim throughout the state of Pennsylvania, please submit an online form or call us at: 1-800-318-LAW1.