Injured in a DUI accident in Utah? You may be able to pursue significant financial compensation. Utah's dram shop act offers injury victims and their loved ones a powerful legal option in the wake of alcohol-related accidents.
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Were you or a loved one injured in a DUI accident in Utah? You may be eligible to secure significant financial compensation. Utah's dram shop act allows some injury victims to pursue financial damages from bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the wake of alcohol-related accidents.
How Dram Shop Laws Work In Utah
In Utah, every licensed establishment is required to serve alcohol in a reasonably safe manner. When businesses fail to do so, people can suffer severe injuries, including in drunk driving accidents and bar fights. But you can fight back.
Utah's powerful dram shop act empowers you and your loved ones to claim financial compensation from the licensed establishment that served the alcohol in the first place.
Eligible Violations Of The Dram Shop Act
Dram shop lawsuits must be based in a violation of the state dram shop act. In this regard, Utah's dram shop act mentions 3 potential violations that can serve as the foundation for a lawsuit:
- serving alcohol to someone who is under the age of 21 (a minor)
- serving alcohol to someone who is "apparently under the influence" of drugs or alcohol
- serving alcohol to a "known interdicted person" (someone who has been ordered by a court to not drink alcohol)
Any one of these 3 violations can be used as the basis for a dram shop claim, in the event that the patron goes on to cause a drunk driving accident or start a bar fight later on.
Limited Social Host Liability: Minors Consuming Alcohol
In some cases, dram shop liability in Utah can even extend to cover social hosts, who serve alcohol or make it available at their own private parties.
A limited form of dram shop liability covers social hosts who are under the age of 21 and provide alcohol for minors to consume. If an intoxicated minor goes on to cause an accident, the social host can be held accountable for any injuries that occur as a result. That liability, however, doesn't extend to adult guests. Social hosts can not be held liable for serving adults alcohol, no matter how much the adults are allowed to drink.
Long Statute Of Limitations
Like any other civil lawsuit, dram shop claims are controlled by a rigorous statute of limitations. This law serves as a legal time limit; if you file your lawsuit after the statute has run its course, your lawsuit will be dismissed without a second thought. Therefore, the statute of limitations must be respected at all costs. The statute of limitations for dram shop lawsuits in Utah is currently 4 years, beginning on the date of injury.
