Most people in Florida know that the state’s laws regarding drinking and driving are tough but they may not always think about the various parties that may be identified as accountable or at least involved in a drunk driving accident. The fact of the matter is that an impaired driver may not be the only person targeted as contributing to an accident in which alcohol was a factor.
In some cases, a bar or restaurant where a driver was served alcohol might be pointed to as having some responsibility for a drunk driver’s actions. An example of this can be seen in a case in which a man who worked for a restaurant eventually died in a crash. The incident took place in early December of last year but People magazine recently reported that the restaurant owner is now being sued for wrongful death by the deceased man’s family.
The case alleges that the restaurant staff allowed the employee to drink until he was completely intoxicated and then get in his car and attempt to drive home. The man had begun drinking after one of his shifts and is said to have left the restaurant in the evening around 6:00 p.m. Records show his blood alcohol content was 0.256%.
In addition, the family members say that the restaurant owner was aware that the employee had a problem with alcohol yet still allowed him to be served. Details of any response from the restaurant owner to the new lawsuit are not known at this time.