Last week’s Law Enforcement Recognition Dinner and Training Symposium celebrated the brave heroes of law enforcement who dedicate themselves to protecting the public and making our roads safe. MADD South Carolina again hosted the event, now in its second year, with Yarborough Applegate participating as a “Captain Sponsor.”
The 2023 Dram Shop Justice Award—which attorney David Lail debuted at last year’s inaugural event—was given to Officer Zach Azari of the Charleston Police Department. Lail created the award to honor an officer who has been relentless in their commitment to victims of drunk driving by identifying irresponsible establishments that break the law by over-serving alcohol and putting drunk drivers on our roads.
“Officer Azari has been instrumental in identifying irresponsible alcohol sellers in Charleston and his work has truly been life changing for victims of drunk driving,” said Lail.
Every day on the job, Officer Azari does just that. Since joining the Charleston Police Department Traffic Division in 2019, he has been laser-focused on impaired driving enforcement. Last year alone, Officer Azari made a staggering 110 DUI arrests. His tenacity has prevented serious collisions and saved countless lives in Charleston. Additionally, he has earned numerous advanced training certifications related to impaired driving enforcement and accident reconstruction, and has been an active MADD committee member since 2021.
We share Officer Azari’s commitment to the safety and wellbeing of his community and are thrilled to see his tireless efforts recognized. In seeking full justice for victims of drunk driving, we work alongside law enforcement to hold all wrongdoers accountable. That means going straight to the source: the bar, restaurant, or other unsafe alcohol retailer who overserved the driver. Significantly, these dram shop cases can result in mandating safer alcohol service standards—an outcome that protects countless people from future harms.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a drunk driving collision, we can help. Contact Yarborough Applegate today to see if a dram shop case is an avenue for justice. Your consultation is always free.
In our pursuit of civil justice for victims of drunk driving, our firm works in partnership with local law enforcement to hold all wrongdoers accountable.
Partner David Lail established the first-ever Dram Shop Justice Award to recognize the role law enforcement plays in addressing a root cause of drunk driving— unsafe alcohol providers.
Membership in this exclusive organization is by invitation only and is limited to the top attorneys in each state who have demonstrated excellence and have achieved outstanding results in their careers.
Please join us in congratulating Partner David Lail for being reelected to the South Carolina Association for Justice (SCAJ) Board of Governors for a second term, as well as being elected to serve on the SCAJ Executive Committee.
In a dram shop case stemming from a deadly July 4, 2019, hit-and-run in which a drunk driver hit a cyclist, Yarborough Applegate attorneys Liam Duffy and David Yarborough recently obtained a key court ruling on behalf of the cyclist’s family.
Dram shop litigation holds bars and alcohol retailers accountable for the injury caused by the unsafe service of alcohol to customers.