Protecting the Rights of Passengers and Other Drivers
According to statistics gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly one in every three motor vehicle accidents nationwide involve a driver who is under the influence of alcohol. Often, those drivers have just left a bar, tavern or other establishment and were visibly impaired when served or when they got behind the wheel. What are your rights in New Jersey when you have been injured by someone who was wrongfully served alcohol?
The New Jersey Dram Shop Laws
In New Jersey, as in most states, there are laws, known as “dram shop” laws, that govern the liability of those who serve alcoholic beverages to individuals who subsequently cause accidents and / or personal injury. In New Jersey, a vendor who serves alcohol to a patron may be liable if that patron causes injury to another while intoxicated. The law requires that one of the following circumstances be proven:
- The patron who caused the injury was “visibly intoxicated” when served the alcohol, or
- The vendor knew or should reasonably have known that the patron was under the age of 21
The vendor’s liability in such circumstances extends not only to drivers and passengers in other vehicles involved in a crash with the patron, but to anyone who was a passenger in the patron’s vehicle at the time of the wreck, even if the passengers was also a patron of the bar. In fact, attorney Howard Popper successfully represented a 20-year-old man who suffered serious injury as a passenger in a motor vehicle driven by a drunk driver, winning a $2 million verdict.
Contact Howard D. Popper, P.C.
At Howard D. Popper, P.C., we can help protect your rights. For a free initial consultation to discuss your options after any type of personal injury, contact our office online or call 973-993-8787 to set up an appointment. We have offices in Morristown and Newton.
We handle all personal injury claimson a contingent fee basis. You won’t pay any attorney fees unless we recover damages for your losses.