Crime Victim Questions · Answered

Can I Sue a Bar For an Assault?

Often, yes. If you were assaulted at a bar that failed to provide reasonable security — too few or untrained bouncers, no response to known danger, or over-serving an aggressive patron — you may be able to sue the bar. The claim is separate from any charges against the person who attacked you.

Crime victim attorney Michael A. Haggard
$102.7M record verdict

When a bar is responsible for an assault

Bars that serve alcohol to crowds face a foreseeable risk of violence and a duty to manage it. A bar can be liable when it ignored that duty — understaffing security, failing to intervene in a brewing fight, or continuing to serve a visibly intoxicated, aggressive patron.

Two possible theories

Negligent security — the bar failed to protect patrons from foreseeable violence. Dram shop / over-service — in many states, a bar that over-served the attacker can face added liability. We evaluate both.

What you can recover

Medical bills, lost income, scarring, and the trauma of being attacked — with wrongful-death recovery in fatal cases. No fee unless we win.

Frequently asked questions

What if the bar says the other person started it?

That doesn't end the inquiry. The question is whether the bar provided reasonable security and avoided over-serving. If it failed in those duties, it can share responsibility regardless of who threw the first punch.

Does it count if I was attacked just outside in the lot?

Often yes — bars frequently owe a duty in their parking areas too. An attack in or just outside the venue can still support a claim.