The Experienced Legal Judgment
You Want In Difficult Injury Cases
When it comes to brain injuries, spinal injuries and dram shop cases, Annette Griggs and her legal team at the Griggs Injury Law firm each have over 20 years of experience to fight for their clients in a personal, professional manner.
Fight Back Against Drunk Driving
Studies show that drinking and driving continues to be a leading cause of car accidents. When a drunk driver gets behind the wheel, innocent people can end up seriously injured or killed. In some alcohol-related accidents, the drunk driver isn’t the only one at fault. Our attorneys are skilled and experienced in pursuing alcohol sales and service liability law. These types of cases are called “dram shop” cases in the legal community.
A brother and sister left a school function in Blue Springs, MO, on their way home. A patrol officer who was overserved alcohol left a local bar/restaurant, too drunk to drive. The drunk driver swerved into their lane of travel and hit the kids head on. The two young high school athletes suffered lifelong injuries that stopped them from running track and playing football and soccer.
Holding Drunk Drivers Responsible
When people think of drunk driving, they only think of the actual DUI. At Griggs Injury Law, LLC, we fight back on behalf of people injured by drunk drivers across Missouri and throughout the Greater Kansas City, Missouri, area. We hold responsible those businesses that illegally overserve drunk drivers.
More Than 15 Years Of Experience As A Lawyer
Annette Griggs’ years of experience give her and our entire office the ability to successfully investigate and prosecute drunk driver liquor liability dram shop claims.
Building successful dram shop legal strategies, however, does not mean we do not focus on you. The foundation of our success is our commitment to working with you personally. This personalized approach enables us to get to know you and your family one on one.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
You can reach us to make your appointment by calling 816-474-0202. You can also contact us online.
When Bars Place Profits Above Safety
CALL GRIGGS INJURY LAW, LLC, AT 816-474-0202 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION
Missouri’s dram shop statute §537.053 states: “The sale of alcoholic beverage may be the proximate cause of personal injuries or death.” The sale must be by the drink and by a restaurant and/or bar or similar business. Importantly, this law only extends to bars or restaurants that serve alcohol by the drink. It does not include social hosts or stores that sell packaged liquor. The purpose of this dram shop law is to prevent alcohol-related traffic accidents and promote public safety by protecting innocent victims from drunk driving accidents.
In Missouri, two events can occur that will cause a bar and/or restaurant to be held responsible for the injury or death of a person in a drunk driving accident: first, if the seller served alcohol to a person under the age of 21 who subsequently caused an accident and injured himself or herself or someone else and second, if the seller knowingly served liquor to a “visibly intoxicated person” who subsequently caused an accident and injured someone else.
Proving liability in the sale and service of alcohol can be difficult because the legal standard that must be met is that the bar knowingly served alcoholic beverages to a “visibly intoxicated person.” To prevail, it is important that a proper investigation be done early and critical information gathered quickly before evidence is lost and while witnesses can still be located.
We work with private investigators and other professionals in drunk driver cases to:
- Interview bartenders, servers and patrons at the bar or restaurant who may have witnessed the drunk driver purchasing alcoholic drinks
- Obtain all police and accident reports, including reports of the drunk driver’s blood alcohol content
- Subpoena records of debit or credit cards of the drunk driver
- Subpoena cash register receipts or other documents related to the sale of wine, beer or liquor by the drink from the bar that served the drunk driver
- Investigate whether the bar or restaurant trains its bartenders, wait staff and other employees to cut off service to intoxicated customers before they become a hazard
If you were injured as a result of a restaurant patron being overserved alcohol (dram shop) or if a loved one was killed by a drunk driver, you should talk to an experienced Kansas City Injury lawyer at Griggs Injury Law as soon as possible to investigate the possibility of a dram shop case and liquor liability claim.
Drunk Driving Cases
The personal injury professionals at Griggs Injury Law, LLC, have successfully represented clients in claims for personal injury and wrongful death caused by drunk or careless drivers in the Kansas City area. We work hard to hold negligent bars and restaurants responsible in dram shop claims for illegally selling liquor to underage or highly intoxicated patrons. Choose a Kansas City accident attorney at Griggs Injury Law who knows this area of the law. Call our office at 816-474-0202 for a consultation with one of our attorneys.
HOLDING DRUNK DRIVERS RESPONSIBLE
The consequences of careless or drunk driving are monumental. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 3,823 people were injured and 218 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents in 2010. View statistical analysis from the highway patrol to learn more or view the chart below.
If you were hurt or paralyzed in an alcohol-related car accident or a family member was killed by a drunk driver, it is important that you hire an experienced auto or truck accidents attorney who can properly handle your case for you. Hiring the right lawyer can be the key to holding the drunk driver responsible and recovering the compensation you need and deserve.
Waiting too long to talk to an auto or truck accidents attorney can hurt your chances of success. Contact us today to find out why you should act quickly to protect your rights. We have the knowledge and ability to do a thorough and proper investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Why Early Investigation Is Important In Dram Shop And Drunk Driving Accidents
In a claim for injuries caused by a drunk driving auto accident, it is important that the personal injury attorney closely monitor the criminal DUI or DWI case against the drunk driver. In addition, time is of the essence when taking statements while the memory of witnesses is still fresh. The first few days are important and often can make or break a case. To pinpoint liability and identify all negligent or responsible parties, quick and thorough investigation is crucial.
At Griggs Injury Law, we would like to see you as soon as possible after an auto accident. We will act quickly to protect your rights and document your damages by:
- Photographing your injuries and the damaged vehicles
- Securing the black boxes from the motor vehicles
- Investigating the scene
- Obtaining witness statements and physical evidence
- Having accident reconstruction experts analyze the cause of the auto or truck accident
- Creating professional day-in-the-life videos and other exhibits to show the effects of your injury on your daily life
- Exploring compensation from the Missouri Victim Injury Fund
At Griggs Injury Law, we are aggressive advocates for individuals and families whose lives have been forever changed by quadriplegia, back injuries and other serious injuries caused by drunk drivers. We also seek justice for families that have lost loved ones in drunk driving auto or truck accidents.
THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NEEDED TO HANDLE YOUR DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENT CLAIM
Claims for injuries or wrongful death caused by an intoxicated driver can be much more complicated than other car or truck accident claims. An attorney needs to really know what he or she is doing to successfully handle a civil lawsuit against a drunk driver.
At Griggs Injury Law, LLC, we have considerable experience and success representing clients in dram shop and alcohol-related auto or truck accidents, including head-on collisions caused by drunk drivers. We work to identify all responsible parties and recover all compensation and insurance benefits available for you or your family.
If we discover, as often is the case, that a bar or restaurant overserved the drunk driver, we will file a suit against the bar or restaurant that illegally served that patron. If necessary, we will pursue claims for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. We will also review your car insurance policy and help you process any insurance claims.
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