There is no question that injuries suffered by a victim of a drunk driving accident can be serious—and sometimes even fatal. When an accident victim suffers serious injuries at the hands of a drunk driver, he or she may be forced to undergo complicated and expensive medical procedures, miss time from work, and endure weeks or months of pain, suffering, and inconvenience. In some cases, depending upon the injuries, an accident victim may be in severe pain for the remainder of his or her life. Fortunately, victims of drunk driving accidents may recover financial compensation from one or more sources.
First, the accident victim can file a civil claim or lawsuit against the drunk driver. Since the State of Georgia is a fault state, injured motor vehicle accident victims can bring a claim directly against the negligent drunk driver.
In some cases, however, a business owner may be fully or partially responsible for the drunk driving accident (and any resulting injuries) under Georgia’s “Dram Shop Law”. This state law holds business owners who knowingly sell alcoholic beverages to inebriated customers liable for the consequences. Since restaurant owners and bar owners are licensed to distribute alcohol to patrons, they are held to a high standard of care. These individuals are not supposed to sell alcoholic drinks to visibly intoxicated guests, and they should monitor the number of drinks that specific patrons buy.
In addition to the owners of restaurants and bars, a party host may also be legally liable for a car accident if the host continued to serve alcohol to an individual who was already visibly intoxicated. This is especially true if the host knowingly served alcohol to an underage minor (i.e. someone who is under 21 years of age).
