Understanding Colorado’s Dram Shop Statute
Colorado’s dram shop statute can affect many sectors, such as business owners in the hospitality industry, event organization, or simply independent shops that sell alcohol. The dram shop law involves legal liability issues surrounding alcohol service and consumption. This law affects a wide range of stakeholders, from bar and restaurant owners to the everyday consumer, and understanding its implications is essential for both compliance and personal responsibility.
If you need support with your claim, we encourage you to contact Mintz Law Firm for assistance and invaluable legal representation.
What Does Colorado’s Dram Shop Statute Entail?
In short, Colorado’s dram shop statute dictates that those who sell alcohol with a license can be subjected to a lawsuit in certain circumstances. In particular, if they serve alcohol to someone under the legal drinking age or to someone who is visibly intoxicated, they may face legal repercussions.
This law dictates that specific individuals can be held liable for serving alcohol in these cases. The law applies to both individuals and businesses with a license to sell alcoholic beverages, including bars, restaurants, vendors, clubs, hotels, and others.
The reason this law exists is because overserving alcohol can result in serious bodily harm. If a drunk driver gets into an accident and harms another victim, the party who has overserved them alcohol can be held liable. Therefore, bars and other businesses are responsible for determining whether someone has had too much to drink and cutting these individuals off from further imbibing.
Can Victims Claim Compensation Under This Law?
When victims are hurt due to someone who was served too much alcohol, they can hold the dram shop responsible through a lawsuit. Any individual or business with a license to serve alcohol is considered a dram shop. The following losses are likely to qualify for compensation:
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced earning capacity and lost wages
- Property damage
- Past and future medical expenses
- Funeral costs
- Disability
- Attorney fees
- Change in lifestyle
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
While you can receive compensation for your losses when dram shops are liable, we strongly recommend you work with an attorney. A lawyer from Mintz Law Firm can support you in many ways throughout the process, including identifying additional losses that qualify for compensation and increasing your maximum possible financial recovery.
How Can a Lawyer Help in Dram Shop Law Cases?
When you work with an attorney from Mintz Law Firm, we can support you in many ways, including but not limited to the following:
- Conducting an independent investigation
- Negotiating with every party to recover a satisfactory settlement
- Collecting evidence to prove liability
- Assuring that all documents are filed correctly and promptly
- Communicating with the other parties on your behalf
- Working with your healthcare providers to obtain any missing records
- Organizing and presenting the evidence to prove liability and damages
- Accessing research methods and tools only available to legal professionals
- Providing an understanding of the legal system and how to make it work for you
Please refrain from representing yourself during your claim, as this may result in reduced compensation for your losses. When you work with a lawyer from Mintz Law Firm, you can obtain complete compensation, face less stress, and spend less time in litigation.
Contact a Mintz Law Firm Dram Shop Liability Lawyer Today
If you have been affected by an incident involving Colorado’s dram shop statute, you don’t have to navigate the complexities of your claim alone. At Mintz Law Firm, we specialize in personal injury law and thoroughly understand how Dram Shop laws can impact your case. Our team is dedicated to providing compassionate and effective legal representation to ensure the best possible outcome for our clients.
Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss the specifics of your case. We’re here to answer your questions and guide you through the legal process with precision and care. You can reach us by phone at (303) 462-2999 or complete our contact form. Don’t let confusion or uncertainty about the law prevent you from getting the justice you deserve. Let us advocate for you.