Court Holds Bar Responsible

Dateline: 09/29/99

A ruling last week by the Montana Supreme Court has once again held a bar owner responsible for damages caused by a patron because he continued to serve him alcohol knowing he was already intoxicated.

The decision upheld a $750,000 damage award against the owner of the Town Tavern in Great Falls, MT paid to one patron of the bar who was injured as a result of the actions of another customer.

Court records show that employees of the Tavern continued to serve alcohol to James Wells although he was obviously drunk -- slurring his words and acting belligerently. When Wells left the bar, he got behind the wheel of a vehicle and proceeded to drive through the barroom wall, injuring another patron.

Taking a Stand

The high court ruled that bar employees should have reasonably foreseen that serving alcohol to a badly intoxicated person would lead to the customer engaging in drunken behavior that would endanger other people.

The court ruling holding the bar responsible is another indication that society in general is getting fed up with drunken drivers, along with stiffer laws and penalties being imposed in many states, especially for repeat offenders.

The ruling is even more striking in light of the fact the owner of the bar made a very good case that his employees had no way to predict that Wells would get behind the wheel of a vehicle after leaving the bar.

What Do You Think?

About.com Poll Should establishments that continue to serve alcohol to obviously drunken patrons be held liable for any damages? Yes, they should be responsible No, that's how they make a living Maybe, depends on other circumstances Current Results

Wells had been injured in a 1991 auto accident and had trouble walking when drunk. He arrived at the bar in a wheelchair and family members had to help him sit at a table and go to the bathroom.

After being returned to the car and placed in the passenger seat by his family, he moved behind the steering wheel and drove the vehicle through the bar wall. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his actions.

Justice Jim Regnier wrote for the majority. "... drunken conduct is the expected, predictable and therefore reasonably foreseeable outcome of serving alcohol to a person who is already intoxicated." The law forbidding the serving of alcohol to a drunk does not require bar owners to judge the medical condition of patrons. The only measurement is whether a person appears intoxicated, Regnier said.

Drinking and Driving

The Dangers
The likelihood of having an "accident" increases with every drink a driver takes. Here are the cold, hard facts.

The Penalties
In case you haven't noticed, the penalties for drinking and driving have gotten a lot tougher thanks to groups like MADD.

The War
In light of the revelation that Princess Diana's driver was drinking, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other groups are using the incident as ammunition in their war against drunk drivers.

Victims of Drunk Drivers
The loved ones of those killed by drunken drivers have published many memorial pages on the Internet honoring the victims. There are hundreds of them.

DUI Victims - Still Suffering
Not all victims of drunk drivers are killed. Many survive the crashes, but for some their lives are changed forever.

Lower BAC Level Pushed
President Clinton asks Congress again to toughen DUI laws nationwide and faces opposition from the alcohol industry.

Drinking and Driving
Cold hard facts for drunk drivers including the latest changes in the law.

Subscribe to the Newsletter
Name	Email

Forum Bulletin Board

Forum Bulletin Board

---

Today's Scheduled Chats
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday
Friday | Saturday | Sunday

Got a Question? Ask it on the Bulletin Board. Weekly Newsletter Free update via email

Calendar of Events Conventions & Roundups. Cybriety Medallions Pick up your chip.

Daily News Headlines
Alcohol/Recovery-Related News