Dram Shop Accidents

Did you know if you are injured by a drunk driver or any intoxicated person, you may be protected by Pennsylvania’s little-known Dram Shop Laws? 

At Lenahan & Dempsey we have recovered damages for clients under the Dram Shop laws – and we are here to help you. You can put a law firm listed in Best Law Firms in America to work for you with just one phone call.  

Dram Shop Laws

Dram Shop laws, put simply, can impose civil liability for damages upon a licensed establishment such as a bar or restaurant or any licensed individual who serves a visibly intoxicated person, or a minor, when the intoxicated person then goes on to injure either himself/herself, or someone else, as a result.

The Dram Shop laws take their name from the time when alcohol was served by the dram.  A dram was defined as the amount any one person can swallow at one time.    

There are a number of key factors Lenahan & Dempsey uses to employ the Dram Shop laws to get you the best possible recovery after an alcohol-related injury. Here are just a few key points: 

• Alcohol vendors can be held liable for injuries caused by intoxicated individuals if it can be proven that the vendor served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person or a minor.
• Pennsylvania follows a comparative negligence system, which means that the injured party’s own negligence does not completely bar them from recovering damages. But the injured party’s own negligence can reduce their recovery by the percentage amount of his or her own negligence. However, if the injured party is found more than 50% comparatively negligent in causing his or her own injuries, he or she cannot recover against the defendants.
• If an injured person can prove that an alcohol vendor violated the Dram Shop laws and that this violation caused to their injuries, they may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, scarring or disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and other damages.

We Can Help

At Lenahan & Dempsey we understand the complexity of the Dram Shop laws and have been successful in the past using these laws to obtain recoveries for our clients. 

Our success in winning Hundreds and Hundreds of Millions for our clients has led to Judges and our peers voting us for inclusion in The Best Law Firms in America, and we are listed as a Tier 1 law firm (the highest rating).  Eight of our lawyers are listed in Best Lawyers in America and eight are listed as Pennsylvania Super Lawyers.   Three, including Firm President John Lenahan, Jr., Managing Partner Timothy Lenahan, and Attorney Matthew Dempsey are listed in The Top 100 Lawyers in Pennsylvania (out of over 48,000 Pennsylvania lawyers).

Timothy Lenahan is also Best Lawyers in America’s Top Insurance Lawyer for his representation of the injured fighting against large insurers for the region of Northeastern/Central Pennsylvania and the Pocono Mountains.  He has previously been named Best Lawyers Top Personal Injury Lawyer for that region for his work fighting for the rights of injured people.

Were you injured by an intoxicated person? We can help. 

Call as soon as possible so we can begin protecting your rights.  We are available 24/7 at 1.888.536.2426.  Call us for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. There are no fees until you get the money you deserve.

What Can You Expect When Working With Lenahan & Dempsey

We have recovered Hundreds and Hundreds of Millions of our clients across almost all fields of Personal Injury, Insurance Bad Faith, and Workers’ Compensation law.  

We fully understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll a case can take on victims and their families. Our highly dedicated team of lawyers and paralegals can point to a history of success supporting our clients and winning the money they need to rebuild their lives.