Convenience Stores May Be Held Liable for Georgia Drunken Driving Accidents
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A landmark decision Flores et al. vs. Exprezit! Stores recently decided by the Georgia Supreme Court might help provide safer roads, by clarifying the application of the Georgia dram shop law to grocery stores and convenience stores whose customers cause drunk driving accidents.
The Georgia Supreme Court held that the dram shop law not only imposes liability on a restaurant or bar that serves alcohol to a patron that is noticeably intoxicated, but also extends liability to businesses that sell packaged and sealed containers of alcohol like grocery and convenience stores. This decision may help make the Georgia roads safer by posing a substantial incentive for such stores to refuse alcohol sales to those that are already intoxicated and go on a “beer run.”
The dram shop law is intended to place an affirmative obligation on those who financially profit from the sale of alcoholic beverages to be responsible in the sale or serving of alcohol to people they know will soon be driving. The goal is to prevent drunken driving auto accidents throughout Georgia. The court relied on a number of criteria in reaching its decision that the law was intended to apply to the sale of closed or packaged alcoholic beverages not intended for consumption on the premises.
It was well established prior to the Flores decision that a bar or restaurant could be liable for injuries resulting from a drunken driving auto accident if the server knew or should have known that the patron was intoxicated when the alcohol was served. This decision extends that liability beyond just the server who pours the alcohol to convenience and grocery stores that engage in the sale of packaged and sealed alcohol to obviously intoxicated patrons.
The court in reaching its decision that the legislature intended the dram shop law to apply to the sale of alcohol by stores relied on the language of the dram shop statute which provides that it applies to anyone that “sells, furnishes or serves.” (Emphasis added). Because the statute uses the terms in the disjunctive, the court concluded that the legislature intended to target not only the pouring and serving of alcohol by bartenders and waitstaff but also the sale of alcohol.
The Supreme Court does point out that there may be more factual challenges in pursuing dram shop liability against a convenience store. In a bar unlike a convenience store, the bartender may have a good idea of how many drinks a person has consumed and has an extended period of time to observe the behavior of the patron. Dram shop cases often turn on evidence that may not be as readily available involving a convenience or grocery store including:
Extended observation of the behavior by the serversReceipts for drinks actually consumedBehavior of patron observed by other witnesses in a bar or restaurantDirect knowledge by servers of number of drinks consumed by the patronGenerally, a clerk in a convenience store will have a very brief interaction with a customer and little time to observe the customer’s behavior. Despite the evidentiary challenges in pursuing a dram shop case against a grocery store or convenience market, the law may encourage owners of such establishments to err on the side of caution when selling alcohol to customers who have been drinking.
The Georgia personal injury law firm of Montlick and Associates represents auto accident victims who suffer catastrophic injuries or wrongful death in auto accidents with drunk drivers in the Atlanta metro area and throughout all of Georgia. If you or someone you love is injured in an accident with a drunk driver, our experienced Georgia drunk driving accident lawyers are committed to helping those injured in alcohol-related accidents obtain fair compensation for their injuries or loss of a loved one.
Our Atlanta drunk driving accident lawyers are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.
Slip and fall accidents in Georgia grocery stores
Kunden, die ein Slip verletzt werden und fallen Unfall in einem Lebensmittelladen Georgien sollten eine Körperverletzung Anwalt konsultieren, die Erfahrung im Umgang mit derartigen Fällen ist.
Wenn Ihr Fall durch die Fahrlässigkeit der Supermarkt verursacht wurde, können Sie in der Lage, Entschädigung für Ihre Krankheitskosten, verloren, Löhne, Schmerzen und Leiden und sonstige Schäden zu erholen sein. Diese Arten von Fällen benötigen sowohl Sie als auch Ihr Anwalt, Beweise zu sammeln. Es gibt einige Schritte, die, wenn möglich, befolgt werden sollten bevor Sie sogar die Unfallstelle verlassen.
Sie sollten ein Unfallbericht im Supermarkt entweder mit Hilfe eines Managers oder über das Kunden-Service-Desk ausfüllen. Wenn niemand Ihnen ein Meldeformular bietet, dann stellen Sie sicher, dass der Unfall in der Manager-Rekord-Buch aufgezeichnet wird. Sie sollten alle potentiellen Zeugen Ihre Unfall sprecht und erhalten ihre Namen und Kontaktinformationen.Es ist wichtig, photographiert in dem das Unglück stattfand und was es verursacht.Die Auflistung aller dieser Art von Informationen wird dazu bei, eine Fahrlässigkeit Forderung gegen den Besitzer des Supermarkts beweisen sein. Die nächsten Schritte, die Sie ergreifen müssen sind in einer Notaufnahme abrufen oder finden einen Arzt um sich selbst ausgewertet. Befolgen Sie des Arztes Aufträge abschließen alle Therapie und im Anschluss an den vollständigen Verlauf der Behandlung durch. Dies wird stark in Ihrem Fall also überspringt keine Behandlungen wie physikalische Therapie Faktor.
Verschütten von Flüssigkeiten sind häufig und in einem Lebensmittelgeschäft sehr vorhersehbar. Dies bedeutet, dass der Informationsspeicher voraussichtlich wird führen regelmäßige Wartung zu entdecken alle potenzielle Leckagen oder Produkte, die auf dem Boden erstellen ein Slip gefallen sind und fallen Gefahr im Supermarkt. Sogar wo einen Mitarbeiter oder Manager nicht die Spill bewusst war, wird das Gericht in der Regel freuen, wie lange die Fremdsubstanz anwesend war. Da flüssige Überläufe sehr häufig in Lebensmittelgeschäften sind, wird der Speicher sind ziemlich hoch verpflichtet, für Verschmutzungen und Trümmer überwachen und bereinigen Gefahren umgehend bevor jemand verletzt ist.
Unsere erfahrenen Georgien Personenschäden Kanzlei haben oft ein Ermittler, besuchen Sie die Website von Ihrem Slip und fallen. Wir können beziehen und überprüfen Sie alle Speicher-Video und interview Mitarbeiter und Manager, die zum Zeitpunkt der Ihre Slip und Herbst Unfall im Einsatz waren. Wenn Sie engagieren sich in einen Zettel und Unfall auf dem Gelände ein Lebensmittelgeschäft in Atlanta oder irgendwo im Georgia fallen, haben Sie Anspruch auf finanzielle Entschädigung für Ihre Verletzungen. Diesen Fällen können oft katastrophale lebensverändernden Verletzungen führen. Wenn Sie leiden unter schwere Verletzungen in ein Slip und Unfall in einem Lebensmittelgeschäft Atlanta oder ein Lebensmittelgeschäft überall in Georgien fallen, rufen Sie Montlick und assoziierten Unternehmen über Ihre Rechte auf Entschädigung zu lernen. Wir arbeiten hart, für unsere Kunden und sind spezialisiert auf außergewöhnlichen Service als Teil unseres Ziels des Seins die besten Slip und fallen Unfall Rechtsanwälte in Georgien.
Unsere erfahrenen Georgien-Slip und Herbst Anwaltskanzlei steht den Kunden in ganz Georgien und im Südosten, einschließlich aber nicht beschränkt auf Albany, Athen, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rom, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins und alle kleineren Städten und ländlichen Gebieten in den Zustand zu helfen. Egal wo Sie sich befinden unserer Rechtsanwälte sind nur einen Telefonanruf entfernt, und wir kommen sogar zu Ihnen. Rufen Sie uns 24 Stunden pro Tag/7 Tage die Woche für Ihre kostenlose Beratung bei 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). Sie können auch besuchen Sie uns online unter www.montlick.com und die Verwendung unserer freien Fall Auswertungsbogen oder 24-Stunden Live Online Chat.
Slip and fall accidents in Georgia grocery stores
Customers who violate a slip and fall accident in a grocery store Georgia should consult a personal injury lawyer, is the experience in dealing with such cases.
If your case the supermarket was caused by the negligence, you can then compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other losses to recover. Both you and your lawyer need these types of cases, to collect evidence. There are some steps that should be followed if possible, before you leave even the scene of the accident.
You should fill out an accident report in the supermarket with a Manager or via the customer service desk. If no one offers a reporting form, make sure that the accident in the Manager record book is recorded. All potential witnesses, you should talk to your accident and get their names and Kontaktinformationen.Es is important, pictures of where the accident took place and what caused it.The collection of all such information will, a negligence claim against the owner of the supermarket prove be. The next steps you must take in an emergency room or find a doctor to be even evaluated. Follow the doctor's orders complete all treatment and at the end of the full course of treatment by. This will skip strong so no treatments such as physical therapy in your case factor.
Spillage of liquids are common and very predictable in a grocery store. This means that the store is expected to lead a to discover all potential leaks or products that build on the ground regular maintenance slip please are and fall risk in the supermarket. Even where not aware that was an employee or Manager spill, the Court will generally look how long the foreign substance was present. As liquid spills are very common in food stores, which is memory are pretty highly obliged to monitor for dirt and debris and clean threats immediately before someone is hurt.
Our experienced Georgia personal injury law firm often have an investigator for the Web site of your slip and fall. We can get and check store, video footage and interview employees and managers who were at the time of your slip and fall accident in the service. If you engage in a piece of paper and accident on the site of a grocery store in Atlanta or anywhere in the Georgia fall, are entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. Often catastrophic, life-changing injuries can result in these cases. If you learn covered severe injuries in a slip and accident in an Atlanta grocery store or a grocery store in Georgia, call to Montlick and associates about your rights to compensation. We work hard for our customers and are specialized in exceptional service as part of our goal of being the best slip and fall accident lawyers in Georgia.
Our experienced Georgia slip and fall law firm is available to clients in all Georgia and in the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta to help Warner Robins and all the smaller towns and rural areas in the State. No matter where you are our lawyers are only a phone call away, and we come to you. Call the week us 24 hours a day/7 days for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us at www.montlick.com and use our free case evaluation form or 24-hour live online chat.
