If you suffered an injury in a car crash caused by a drunk driver, your initial focus will no doubt be on your recovery. However, you will be facing challenges other than those of a medical nature. You may be looking at hospital bills, physical therapy bills, home health care expenses and more. Because of your injury, you may also be facing loss of wages, even the loss of your job.
The question is, how will you obtain compensation for all this? You assume the intoxicated driver is to blame, but what about the tavern where that driver consumed too much alcohol before hitting the road — and totaling your car?
Dram shop liability in Ohio
Forty-three states, including Ohio, have specific dram shop laws. Although these laws vary from state to state, they all have certain points in common. For example, in any establishment where alcohol is sold, the establishment is prohibited to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 or to someone who is obviously already intoxicated. If another person suffers any injury caused by the intoxicated individual, the victim can pursue a personal injury action against the liquor permit holder or the employee who sold the alcohol.
Seeking punitive damages
When someone who suffers injury from the actions of a drunk driver, Ohio law says that the victim can receive awards via punitive damages, along with any other compensation that might be forthcoming. An attorney will work closely with experts to investigate the accident scene and collect data that will prove liability on the part of the drunk driver and possibly the individual or business that provided the alcohol to the driver.
Get what is coming to you
A case involving drunk driving can be complex, especially when responsibility for the accident in which you were injured may rest with more than one party, and involve multiple insurance companies. Reach out to a law firm that has decades of experience with cases just like yours. A dedicated and compassionate personal injury attorney will work diligently toward achieving a successful outcome on your behalf along with the maximum compensation to which you are entitled.