Dram shop law creates a mechanism for victims of drunk driving accidents to hold commercial servers of alcohol financially accountable for the damages caused by the unsafe service of alcohol to customers who later injure the innocent. Lail, who co-authored the book “Dram Shop Litigation: A Practice Guide,” presents on dram shop cases and representing victims of drunk driving both locally and nationwide.
“A large part of my practice involves representing victims of drunk driving and litigating ‘Dram Shop’ cases against bars and restaurants that fail to safely serve alcohol and turn patrons into drunk drivers. These establishments are actually in a very unique position to prevent drunk driving, as they decide who drinks and how much. Unfortunately, bars and restaurants often fall short and play a lead role in putting drunk drivers on our roads and endangering the public,” says Lail.
This summer, Lail presented a one-hour CLE entitled, “A Primer on South Carolina Dram Shop Law” at the Charleston School of Law, his alma mater. Lail also co-hosted a 90-minute nationwide webinar entitled, “Dram Shop Liability: Bar, Restaurant and Individual Exposure for Over-Serving Customers and Guests” through Strafford Publications.
“Dram shop litigation is tough but important work. We owe it to victims of drunk driving to hold the unsafe servers of alcohol responsible for putting drunks on the road. In the end, it’s really a public safety issue and dram shop cases highlight how important responsible alcohol service is to our communities,” says Lail.
Visit our website to learn more about our dram shop law practice area.