Providence's favorite dive bar has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately. News continues to come out about the young Massachusetts man who lost his life following a night at the Red Room. (I am omitting the young man's name out of respect for the family).
Rhode Island, like many States, has pretty tough liquor liability laws. RI General Law 3-14-6(b) holds a defendant venue (in this case, The Red Room) responsible for the damages done to a person to whom they served alcohol even though they knew or should have known was intoxicated.
The projo continues to relay facts about this case which shows that all of the friends the victim was traveling with were highly intoxicated and fighting with each other in the parking lot. Furthermore, the news reports that the group took a cab directly to the Red Room suggesting that this was the only venue they visited that night. Therefore, the Red Room will have a tough time arguing that they are not the cause of the heavy intoxication.
The bar may be held responsible for the damages that their actions caused. Liquor stores, bars, and restaurants, profit heavily from serving alcohol (a clearly dangerous drug when abused) but are held responsible when they place profits over safety. The Red Room, like any bar has an obligation to ensure that alcohol is consumed safely.
I'm sure you have walked into a bar or restaurant which told you, much to your chagrin, that they will not serve shots or five liquor drinks, aka Long Island Iced Tea. Those venues are afraid of the nightmare scenario that the Red Room now faces.
I am sure that a great deal of facts will continue to come out in the coming weeks which will shed light on what actually happened that evening. My condolences to the friends and family.
Liquor liability laws are meant to protect innocent people from the dangerous actions of clearly intoxicated people. Often, these laws come into effect when a drunk driver causes serious injury or death to another person in a car accident. Liquor liability laws, however, can also protect an individual who is seriously injured or killed after becoming too intoxicated at a drinking establishment.
If you or a loved one was involved in an accident which was caused or made worse because of another party's clear intoxication, contact our office for a free consultation.
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