Did you know that in order to become an attorney in the United States, one must first earn a bachelor's degree. They must then apply to and get accepted to a law school, where they will spend three to four years studying law, specifically. They then have to pass a bar exam in order to legally be allowed to practice in their state. It's no secret that lawyers are well-educated, and they can get the job done when you need them to. Rely on a general attorney for your legal and representation needs, and dig into this blog to learn more about the profession.
Why The Host Of A Party Might Be Legally Responsible For Your Car Crash
If you are struck by a vehicle, you might assume that only the individual operating that vehicle is at fault. However, if the driver was inebriated and came from a party, you may also be able to hold the host of the party responsible under some state laws.
How Social Host Liability Cases Work
In some states, the host who provides alcohol to an attendee might be liable for damages if the attendee drinks and drives and this results in an accident. Social host liability is a different legal concept than dram shop liability because a social host is not paid for the alcohol. They could be the host of a party, an event planner, or anyone else who serves alcohol and does not expect customers to pay for it. A dram shop, on the other hand, is usually a bar or restaurant.
Liability for a Social Host
For a host to be responsible for your accident, they must provide alcohol to the driver prior to the operation of the vehicle. The driver responsible for the accident will need to have been visibly intoxicated and posed an unreasonable risk. Also, the car accident must have caused you to become injured.
Why You Should Sue the Host
It's a good idea to file a claim against the host because you will want to pursue as many avenues as possible when seeking compensation for your injuries. A single claim might not cover all of your expenses because auto insurance providers have policy limits. However, you will need to prove that the host provided alcohol to the drunk driver to be able to receive compensation from the host due to their negligence.
How to Prove Fault
There are several methods an auto accident attorney will use to prove negligence on the part of the other driver. For example, they will look for witnesses who might have observed the host providing alcohol to the driver who was responsible for the accident. Make sure to speak with anyone who witnessed the event where alcohol was served.
Make Sure the Host Can Afford to Pay
You'll also need to determine whether the host has the ability to pay for the damages you have suffered. This is because you will need to file a lawsuit against the host in court and they will then need to have assets you can pursue such as the cash in their bank account.
Once you have gathered the evidence together that the host was at fault and have determined that they are able to pay, you will be able to take legal action with the help of an auto accident attorney.
For more information, contact a local auto accident lawyer.