Am I Liable if My Guests Drink and Drive?

Posted on June 9, 2022 by admin

Social host liability is a real thing, and you should be fully informed of this legal responsibility before serving alcohol at your next soirée. Of course, not all states have social host liability laws, such as New York and California, but most do. So, do your part by learning what it takes to be a safe and responsible social host.

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Key Facts Surrounding Social Host Liability

If you are planning to serve alcohol to guests at your next event or party, be sure you know where you stand in terms of legally liability. The law will hold you [and therefore your home owner’s insurance company] responsible for the actions and inactions of your intoxicated guests, including drinking and driving. In fact, DUI cases are among the most common scenarios in which social host liability comes into play. If you knowingly serve alcohol to an already-inebriated guest or over-serve alcohol to a formally-sober guest, and then they drive home, you can be held legally responsible for any damages and losses they cause while operating their vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Whether they drunkenly decided to joyride across a private golf course, fall asleep at the wheel and hit a pedestrian, or cause a serious auto accident that results in bodily harm to another, responsibility for these incidents could link back to you if the driver got drunk at your party on your alcohol. In serious cases, a social host could face criminal charges on top of a civil lawsuit.

Serving Minors

Social hosts also have a legal duty of care to ensure alcohol does not get in the hands of anyone who is under the legal drinking age. If you are caught serving alcohol to a minor, and that minor, under the influence of alcohol, drives and gets into an accident, you could be held civilly and criminally responsible. This also applies in some cases of unknowingly supplying alcohol to minors. In the case that your teenager and some friends steal the liquor from the cabinet, and then an accident takes place as a result of their intoxication, the law might hold the homeowners and legal guardians liable.

Dram Shop Laws

Restaurants must uphold this same duty of care. Dram Shop laws impose legal liability onto owners of bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and any other establishments that sell alcoholic beverages and products to intoxicated customers. These laws are set to protect individuals from harming themselves or others as a result of over-indulging in alcohol. For instance, it is possible for a victim of a drunk driving accident to sue the establishment that sold the drunk driver the alcohol, but only if the driver was already intoxicated at the time of the sell.

Were you or a loved one seriously injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver? Contact the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced drunk driving accident lawyer in Indianapolis, Indiana. We represent all drunk driving cases throughout the state of Indiana, including car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, wrongful deaths, and more.

How to Make an Injury Claim Against a Drunk Driver

Posted on January 28, 2020 by admin

If you were injured in a car accident due to a drunk driver, there is a very high probability that you are entitled to compensation for your resulting damages and losses. In order to recover remuneration from an at-fault driver, you must make a personal injury claim with the drunk driver’s insurance company or the drunk driver themselves if they were uninsured. Moreover, if the drunk driver was uninsured, you can make a claim through the uninsured motorist provision of your own automobile insurance policy. In the unlikely event a settlement is not reached, a lawsuit can be filed and pursued.

Continue reading to learn how to get started on a car accident personal injury claim in Indiana, as well as, your options for suing a drunk driver.

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Drunk Driving Accidents

The statistics for drunk driving accidents are alarming, regardless of which state the data is coming from. Drunk driving accidents are among the most common types of motor vehicle accidents in the country. In fact, read our blog, “Eye-Opening Drunk Driving Facts and Statistics” to learn just how startling these numbers are. Not only are drivers and passengers common victims, pedestrians, cyclists, skaters, and more are also injured by inebriated drivers.

Compensation for Damages and Losses

With such high statistical numbers, car accident injury claims are also quite common. They fall under tort law, which provides financial relief for those wrongly injured by another person as a result of carelessness, negligence, gross negligence, or recklessness. If you are injured in an accident because of someone else’s actions or inactions, you can make a claim against their insurance company to recover compensation for damages and losses. Such losses generally include hospital bills, medical expenses, lost wages from time off work, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering.

How to Make Your Car Accident Claim

Most of the time, a claim is made by the victim (claimant) against the drunk driver’s insurance company. If a person is killed by a drunk driver, their family or next of kin can make a wrongful death claim against the drunk driver’s insurance company. If the drunk driver’s insurance company will not settle the claim fairly, a lawsuit can be filed against the drunk driver and the drunk driver’s insurance company would have to pay the verdict received against the drunk driver, up to that driver’s automobile policy limits.

In order to make a claim against a drunk driver that has injured you in an accident, whether as a driver yourself, a passenger, or a pedestrian, your very first step is the most vital one; seek proper and thorough medical treatment. Once you are stable enough, your next step is also incredibly vital: contact an Indianapolis personal injury law firm to represent you in your claim. We have the knowledge, resources, experience, and skills to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve for your suffering and loses. Just be sure to choose the right personal injury law firm that can provide comprehensive and compassionate counsel.

Choose the Law Office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C.

Call us today at 317-881-2700 to discuss your Indiana car accident claim with a licensed accident attorney you can trust. Our licensed accident lawyers gather all relevant information needed for the case, go head to head with the insurance companies, handle all communication and negotiations with the opposing parties and will go to trial if the defendant’s insurance company will not make a full and fair settlement offer, all to obtain fair compensation for our injured clients. We want everyone to have a chance at justice following a serious accident caused by another’s negligence. This is why we operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning we never collect lawyer fees unless we win compensation for you.

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700 — Schedule a Free Consultation!

Can I Sue a Drunk Driver That Seriously Hurt Me in an Accident?

Posted on February 27, 2018 by admin

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a continuous epidemic in our country. And although we cannot control other’s behaviors, and prevent them from driving after drinking or partaking in narcotics, we can, however, make our own good choices when it comes to responsible driving.

When a person is injured in a drunk driving accident, most often the results are either fatal or serious. In the case that a person is hit by a drunk driver and injured as a result of their negligence, there is a strong opportunity to pursue a lawsuit against them for the damages you incurred from the accident. There are a few stipulations and concerns that go along with this type of lawsuit, so continue reading and learn what can happen and what should happen after being involved or injured in a drunk driving accident or collision.

Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers 317-881-2700

Drunk Driving Lawsuit

A person that is injured unintentionally, or intentionally, has the legal right to file a claim against the negligent party that caused them harm. In the case of a drunk driving collision, several outcomes can occur. Fatalities are unfortunately the most common in America. More people every year are dying as a result of dangerous motor vehicle accidents. If a person is killed by a drunk driver, their family can pursue a wrongful death lawsuit on their behalf.

If a person is seriously injured as a result of an intoxicated driver, they can file a claim and pursue compensation for their damages and losses. Most of the time, a drunk driver is not necessarily the one sued, it is their insurance company that pays out the final settlements. But if a drunk driver is uninsured, then the case must be taken to court and settled in trial. If the person does not have the finances to pay remuneration to the injured party, then they may have their wages garnished or even face jail time.

Where to Get Professional Help

It is important to retain professional legal counsel from a licensed Indianapolis car accident lawyer for proper personal injury representation. They have the proper licensing, education, training, knowledge, and resources to effectively coordinate an aggressive personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver and their insurance company.

Personal injury attorneys and law firms generally offer free initial consultations to accident victims. With no obligation to pay, the victim and their family can discuss their case with a licensed accident attorney to determine their eligibility to legal recompense. Most personal injury law firms provide their service on a contingency-fee basis, meaning they do not collect lawyer fees unless they recover a settlement for the client.

Call Our Seasoned Indianapolis Car Accident Lawyers RIGHT NOW

Indianapolis Personal Injury Lawyers 317-881-2700

Call The Law office of Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 to file a personal injury claim in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our seasoned car accident lawyers are eager to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve. We offer free initial consultations and never collect attorney fees unless we recover for you.

Craven, Hoover, & Blazek P.C.

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