The combination of thriving nightlife and dining options, along with resort bars, makes Myrtle Beach a popular travel destination, yet serving too much alcohol to an impaired driver leads to devastating outcomes. A Myrtle Beach dram shop lawyer from Axelrod & Associates, P.A. can explain South Carolina’s alcohol liability laws for bars, restaurants, and clubs that serve someone who is visibly intoxicated.
If you were hurt or lost a loved one in a drunk driving crash, you may have claims against the driver and the provider of alcohol. With a comprehensive knowledge of dram shop laws, an attorney can help hold those responsible accountable for overserving or other negligent alcohol service.
Axelrod & Associates, P.A. has decades of experience representing individuals injured by impaired drivers throughout Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand. Our personal injury lawyers understand how South Carolina liquor liability principles apply to DUI investigations, criminal sentencing, and insurance company disputes.
We carefully review bar receipts, surveillance video, and witness testimony to identify all potentially responsible parties. Clients work directly with an attorney who can provide candid advice, realistic expectations, and guidance based on local court practice and South Carolina rules of evidence.
If the matter is serious, your counsel should be exceptional.
Dram shop principles in South Carolina provide a legal basis for injury victims to pursue compensation from alcohol providers that contribute to a drunk driving crash. Dram shop liability may arise when a business serves someone who is visibly intoxicated or continues to sell alcohol after obvious signs of impairment.
The scope of these cases is nationwide, with NHTSA reporting that there were 12,429 alcohol impaired driving deaths in 2023. Drunk driving is also involved in about a third of traffic fatalities throughout the U.S. Key issues in a Myrtle Beach dram shop case can include:
Nightlife is an important part of Myrtle Beach’s resort economy. Bars, restaurants, and clubs along Kings Highway, Ocean Boulevard, and Broadway at the Beach bring together tourists, locals, and seasonal workers. With such a highly touted tourism industry, there is a responsibility for bars and restaurants to ensure they are keeping Myrtle Beach locals and visitors safe while enjoying themselves.
When overserving occurs, there is an increased risk of DUI or other accidents occurring. Whether these accidents happen in a resort after returning from a night out, on the drive home, or while walking down the beach, there are a multitude of ways that mixing too much alcohol with fun can go wrong.
A dram shop claim is a type of civil claim for monetary damages that can be filed in South Carolina to recover from a bar, restaurant, or other alcohol provider that overserved the driver who caused a drunk driving crash. A dram shop claim in South Carolina centers on whether the business served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated or otherwise clearly impaired person and whether the service contributed to the crash and injuries.
Bars, restaurants, hotel lounges, or clubs that overserved the driver may be sued under dram shop principles after a Myrtle Beach crash. The dram shop question in a Myrtle Beach accident case is whether a provider continued to serve an obviously impaired driver. This may be shown through records and evidence of when, how much, and what was sold, as well as eyewitnesses who observed the slurred speech, stumbling, or inability to stand or walk steadily.
Compensation available in a dram shop case in Myrtle Beach can include medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering, as well as costs for long-term disability. The question of what compensation a dram shop can provide depends on the seriousness of the injuries and how clearly overserving contributed to the crash. In a fatal crash case, the surviving family members of the person killed in the collision may also pursue wrongful death damages.
The deadline to file a dram shop-related legal claim in South Carolina generally follows the three-year statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death legal claims under S.C. Code § 15-3-530. The question of how long to file a Myrtle Beach dram shop legal claim is tied to when the crash happened or, in a death case, when the person died. Since late filings are typically dismissed, it is important to contact a lawyer as early as possible.
Dram shop legal claims in South Carolina generally have the same three-year statute of limitations as other personal injury and wrongful death claims under S.C. Code § 15-3-530. Whether a claimant must file a legal claim will depend on the date of the collision or, in fatal cases, the date of death. Since alcohol service records and video surveillance can be lost or overwritten, early legal consultation is highly recommended.
Alcohol providers who failed to notice obvious intoxication created the dangerous drunk driver. Dram shop principles can give injured people and grieving families another avenue of accountability when a bar, restaurant, or club plays a role in creating the danger.
Axelrod & Associates, P.A. can review the facts of the crash, investigate the driver’s drinking history, and evaluate potential claims against alcohol providers. If you are ready to talk to an attorney, you can contact our firm for a consultation about Myrtle Beach drunk driving and dram shop liability claims. Hire a dram shop lawyer today.
I just had the most awesome results with Axelrod Law Firm, particularly with Tatiana Berkey! She got my 8 points reduced to zero with only a $25 fine! She was so informative, caring and productive! It’s a great law firm with great results!
The staff at Axelrod&Associates is far none the best on the grand strand.they have taken care of 5 different cases for me and they went way above my expectations. Heather,Kelly ,Stuart and notably the best paralegal in the business…”Jenna” are so professional and most of all….caring. A million thanks to everyone there.
Go see Kate O’Hara! Her and her team work great together! Kept me up date and answered all the questions that I had! I couldn’t thank them enough!
Words can’t describe how thankful I am for this law firm ! They went way beyond anything I could have ever expected. If you are looking for a firm that really cares about their clients , this is the one!
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4701 Oleander Drive, Suite A
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-484-3983
1550 N. Oak St.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
843-390-9090
1510 Ebenezer Road
Rock Hill, SC 29732
803-956-1224
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Little River, SC 29566
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