Maryland Court rules Dogfish Head Alehouse not liable for child’s death by patron
If a bar or tavern serves a customer 20 alcoholic drinks, and that customer later kills or injures someone in their intoxicated state, should the establishment be held liable? Not as long as the patron is off-premises when the injury occurs, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled today.
Note: The Alehouse just licenses the brewery’s name and brand is otherwise unaffiliated to our knowledge.
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Even if the gentleman in question weighed 200 pounds and was in the bar for four hours, he should have almost been unconscious when he paid his bill!
Shame on you Dogfish Head! This is on you!
Whether there is a law or not, you owe your patrons and the beer industry
an apology for so callously chasing profit over ethical concern for their well being.
I’ve always felt that Mr. Calagione was more about self-promotion. This, hopefully, should keep him up a night or two.
Dogfish Head Ale House only uses the licensed name of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Unaffiliated.
If that’s truly the case, I’d be getting that logo off the building faster than The Food Network cut their ties with Paula Deen!
An important clarification, Adam. Thanks for posting that.
This is huge… The server should never be held responsible. If you can’t control your own intake that’s your fault. wether it’s 20 beers or 2. Each person’s tolerance is different. We are taught repeatedly about safe consumption/binge drinking and driving under the influence. What if they had 10 shots right before they came in and only had 1 beer? History says the last person to serve them is held accountable. I think that is complete garbage. It’s time people take responsibility for there own actions instead of blaming someone else. We are all adults. Chasing profits? You blame the brewery/Calagione? It was obviously the bartenders choice. Not to mention some people are far better at keeping it together then others. Shame on you for pointing a fingers. They certainly didn’t force this patron to make the decisions he chose. Wether it be to walk out in traffic.. shoot someone or get behind the wheel, the patron made this decision himself and he alone should be held accountable.
The server was still in a better position to determine if 20 servings was prudent! Isn’t good judgement one of the first things to disappear as one consumes alcohol?
I agree that the patron is responsible for his actions. That’s why he will be spending a long time worrying about dropping the soap.
There’s only one reason a bar/restaurant would consider serving an individual patron 20 servings of alcohol. You choose to call it free choice. I consider it to be irresponsible to the point of criminality. That’s what makes the World go ’round.
I work at a liquor store. I’m at the whim of dram shop laws and I have no problem with that. If you can’t determine whether or not someone has been drinking or not, that’s one thing. But if you personally serve them 20 drinks, then you’re an irresponsible asshole, as is that patron.