
Are Bartenders at Fault?
A bartender in Texas was arrested for serving alcohol to man that later went on a shooting spree. Is the bartender at fault? David Savage writes, "A tough call?… The drunk had a BA. of .333% (more than 4x the legal limit). It appears from a reading of the entire article that the arrest did not stem from the number of drinks served during the last visit to the bar, but rather from serving alcohol with knowledge of prior over service, being obviously intoxicated and observed ch

Over Served - Alcohol Related Cases in the News
Tiger Woods and his restaurant in Jupiter, Florida have been in the news recently due to a wrongful death suit after an employee died in a car crash. Attorney David L. Savage discussed below how this would apply to South Carolina. Read the Tiger Woods article here. As to this article: No such suit in South Carolina… Each state has its own laws concerning legal responsibility for the over service of alcohol. In South Carolina, an intoxicated individual may not sue the bar th

Bars Share Responsibility in Drunk Driving Collisions
"More than 1000 people die on South Carolina roads each year, and a third of those deaths are caused by drunk drivers."
While 1,000 people may die each year as a result of drunk driving, the number who are injured is much higher. As an attorney who represents the innocent victims involved in drunk driving collisions, I have found patterns that emerge in the cases I have handled. It is not uncommon for a person who has consumed two or three alcoholic beverages to apprecia

South Carolina Personal Injury Laws & Statutory Rules
If you’re part of an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit in South Carolina, a number of state laws could come into play at some point in your case. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at South Carolina personal injury laws. Time Limits on Personal Injury Lawsuits in South Carolina All states set statutory limits on how much time you have to go to court and file a lawsuit after you have suffered some type of harm. These deadlines vary depending on the kind of

Damages and Time Limits in South Carolina Alcohol-Related Accident Lawsuits
Dram shop and social host liability cases are civil claims, which means that the liability of the defendant -- that's the business or individual who provided alcohol to the person who caused the accident -- is expressed solely in terms of money damages, which is money paid to compensate the injured person for losses like hospital and medical bills, lost wages and benefits, property damage, and pain and suffering. (Learn more: Damages in a Personal Injury Case.) Like other in

Social Host Liability in South Carolina
Many states also hold social hosts liable if they provide alcohol to a guest who then injures someone else. In South Carolina, a social host liability claim might exist if the guest was a minor under age 21. However, the courts have stated that such a claim does not exist if the intoxicated person was an adult. In Garren v. Cummings & McCrady, Inc., the driver, Ronald Slider, consumed alcohol at a party hosted by Cummings & McCrady. While driving home, Slider crossed the c

Expert Dram Shop Litigation Practice Guide
Visit the South Carolina Bar website to order your South Carolina Dram Shop Litigation: A Practice Guide. Principal Authors:
David B. Yarborough, Jr., Esquire, David L. Savage, Esquire, David B. Lail, Esquire
Contributing Authors:
Drew H. Butler, Esquire, David H. Eagerton, Ph.D., F-ABFT, Elizabeth Trendowski TOPICS Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Practice Management and Technology Litigation Practice and Procedure Tort Law Order Here #DramShopSouthCarolina #DramShopCh