Illegal Sales By Bars Leads to Dram Shop Recovery

Streed’s client was out drinking with friends at two rural MN bars. The bars kept serving alcohol to the men as one of them had identified himself as the “sober driver”. The bars proceeded to over serve their customers to the point where they were obviously intoxicated, a violation of a bar’s legal duty. The bar employees were not too concerned with this violation of MN’s liquor liability law because they assumed the sober driver would be driving the men all night long. They assumed wrong; eventually the sober driver went home and one of the drunken men drove and caused a rollover crash that resulted in serious injuries to his passenger, Streed’s client. A lawsuit resulted in a settlement with both bars (and the driver of the vehicle). This was a tragic case and serves as a reminder to all liquor vendors as to the importance of following the liquor liability laws and also to individuals to always avoid driving while intoxicated and/or riding with a driver who is intoxicated and impaired.