Former New England Patriot and Los Angeles Raider star, Brian Holloway, is suing a Florida bar after Holloway’s son was killed in a DUI related collision after leaving the bar.
Max Holloway, son of Brian Holloway, frequented Panini’s Bar and Grill in Lutz, Florida. On October 26, 2016, Max Holloway, was at Panini’s drinking until 2:30 in the morning at which time he left in his vehicle.
Not far from his condo, Max lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a nearby home. He was killed in the collision.
Under Florida law, a person or a business can be held liable for injuries or damages caused by a habitual alcohol drinker whom was served by that person or business.
Laws like Florida’s are called “dram shop laws.”
Not to say that the bar was right to continue to serve Max Holloway, but to hold them liable for the decision he made to drive while under the influence seems to be rather unfair.
Fortunately, California sees it the same.
While other states such as Florida may hold a bar liable for injuries caused by a drunk driving customer, in California it is the customer’s willful decision to drink and then drive which is the cause of any subsequent DUI collision. Thus, in California, bars and restaurants are shielded from liability when a customer over drinks, drives away, and causes injury or damage.
California’s “Dram Shop Laws” (California Civil Code section 1714) read as follows:
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to . . . reinstate the prior judicial interpretation of this section as it relates to proximate cause for injuries incurred as a result of furnishing alcoholic beverages to an intoxicated person, namely that the furnishing of alcoholic beverages is not the proximate cause of injuries resulting from intoxication, but rather the consumption of alcoholic beverages is the proximate cause of injuries inflicted upon another by an intoxicated person.
(c) Except as provided in subdivision (d), no social host who furnishes alcoholic beverages to any person may be held legally accountable for damages suffered by that person, or for injury to the person or property of, or death of, any third person, resulting from the consumption of those beverages.
(d) Nothing in subdivision (c) shall preclude a claim against a parent, guardian, or another adult who knowingly furnishes alcoholic beverages at his or her residence to a person under 21 years of age, in which case, notwithstanding subdivision (b), the furnishing of the alcoholic beverage may be found to be the proximate cause of resulting injuries or death.
As you can see, the laws are different if the customer is under the age of 21. It is the responsibility of bar to ensure that their customers are of legal drinking age before serving them alcohol. People under the age of 21 are legally deemed incapable of making good decisions regarding alcohol use…like the decision not to drive after drinking at a bar.
While California’s law differ from other states with respect to civil liability, like Florida, a bar may be held criminally liable if they serve alcohol to an “obviously intoxicated person.”
According to California Business and Professions Code section 25602(a), “Every person who sells, furnishes, gives, or causes to be sold, furnished, or given away, any alcoholic beverage to any habitual or common drunkard or to any obviously intoxicated person is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
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