When is a Bar or Nightclub Liable for Injuries Caused in a Fight?

 Posted on December 18, 2020 in Premises Liability

When we think about restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, we typically envision friends getting together to have a few drinks, eat a meal, dance, and enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, sometimes a night out turns into a nightmare. If you or a loved one was the victim of assault or battery at a bar, nightclub, or other commercial establishment, you may have questions about liability. Even if the police were called and the person who attacked you is facing criminal charges, you may still be left with serious expenses related to your injuries. In some cases, the establishment in which someone was physically attacked is liable for the costs suffered by the victim. However, bars and other establishments are only liable for injuries from an attack in certain situations.

Physical Attacks Can Lead to Considerable Damages

Whether you were injured in a fight or you were simply a bystander who was injured while other people were fighting, injuries from a bar fight can be severe. You may have sustained deep lacerations, broken bones, traumatic brain injury, or other injuries that required emergency medical care. Now you are left with medical bills and other financial concerns. You may be unable to work and earn an income while your injuries are healing. In situations such as these, a premises liability claim against the establishment may allow you to recover financial compensation.

Commercial Establishments Have a Legal Duty to Customers

Premises liability laws deal with the legal responsibilities that property owners have to the individuals who lawfully visit their properties. Commercial property owners and occupiers have a legal duty of care to their customers to keep the premises reasonably safe. Of course, understanding what constitutes “reasonably safe” can be quite difficult. Typically, a bar or other commercial property is legally responsible for injuries sustained by a customer when the establishment knew or should have known about a dangerous situation and did not take steps to protect customers from the foreseeable danger. For example, if patrons are routinely injured in fights caused by the bartenders overserving alcoholic drinks, it could be argued that the establishment should have taken steps to prevent future fights from occurring. The establishment may also be liable if it broke state or local laws and this unlawful conduct led to your injuries.

Contact a Rockford Premises Liability Lawyer

If you or a loved one were hurt in a bar fight, contact Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois, to learn more about your right under Illinois premises liability laws. Call us at 815-215-7561 and schedule a free consultation with a Winnebago County personal injury attorney from our firm.

Source:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2048&ChapterID=57