Bar and Restaurant Liability for Drunk Driver Accidents in Texas

Recently, there has been much reported about John Patrick Barton, the man charged for murder after the vehicle he was driving ran into the sedan of an Argyle family on Interstate 35 near State Highway 121 in early April. If you are unfamiliar with the tragic accident, Mr. Barton was allegedly highly intoxicated at the time of the accident. But the key reason why people are so upset has to do with the fact that Mr. Barton had been charged with three previous drunk driving charges prior to this accident, but was still driving.

Potentially compounding this tragic accident is whether Mr. Barton, and other alleged drunk drivers, may not have enough liability insurance to provide financial support and assistance to innocent third-parties from accidents caused by them. The most unfortunate scenario is when drunk drivers do not have any liability insurance at all, so what is one to do if they find themselves in a similar tragic situation? First, you can look at your personal health insurance for medical care and treatment. Next, if you were working at the time of the accident, then you might be entitled to file a claim with your employer. Finally, in certain situations, you can also potentially sue the restaurant, bar or tavern that served alcohol to the driver before the accident. After all, if a restaurant employee continues to serve more alcohol to an intoxicated customer and knows he or she is intoxicated, then shouldn't the restaurant share some of the responsibility? The State of Texas thinks so, and so do we.

If you or a family member has been injured in an accident with a drunk driver, please contact a Dallas Fort Worth accident attorney at Reed & Riordan, PLLC today at 214.570.9555 or 888.229.8985.