Considering a law firm’s experience is crucial to choosing the right attorneys to handle your case. Our lawyers have been fighting to protect the victims of drunk driving for a combined three decades. But more important is what we’ve been able to achieve for these survivors and families.
Here’s a sample of the successful Pennsylvania dram shop and drunk driving lawsuits we’ve handled during our careers:
$12.7 Million Dram Shop Settlement
Driving home after a funeral, three people were killed in a tragic car accident in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania. The other driver, after attending a hockey game in Reading, had hopped from bar to bar, becoming progressively more intoxicated throughout the night.
Despite his undisguised drunkenness, he was served alcohol by each establishment, ultimately reaching a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.23%, almost 3 times more than Pennsylvania’s legal limit. Witnesses saw the man, who would soon get into his car, vomiting at a bar, perpetrating acts of violence in public and even swilling alcohol out of a candle-holder.
In spite of his egregious conduct, licensed establishments continued selling him alcohol. He was served at:
- Bethlehem’s Roosevelt’s 21st Ale House
- Kutztown’s Kutztown Pub
- Kutztown’s Kutztown Tavern (Shorty’s Bar)
- Sovereign Center Arena
He then took his intoxication on the road, ultimately killing three, perfectly innocent people.
Marciano & MacAvoy’s dram shop liability lawyers were able to secure a $12.7 million pre-trial settlement from the four establishments that served the drunk driver. Along with compensation for the victims’ families, our attorneys crafted a settlement agreement compelling each defendant to make a donation to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the nation’s foremost anti-drunk driving nonprofit.
$4.3 Million Dram Shop Lawsuit Settlement
After drinking for hours in two West Chester restaurants, a man got into his car and proceeded to drive it into a tree. The car’s passenger, the driver’s wife, suffered a severe spinal cord injury.
At the time of the crash, the husband’s BAC was over twice the legal limit for drivers in Pennsylvania. Despite being visibly intoxicated, the man was continually served alcohol, both beer and martinis, at the Dilworthtown Inn and Blue Pear Bistro. In Pennsylvania, that’s illegal, a violation of the state’s Dram Shop Act.
The consequences were devastating. The man’s wife, only 46, has been forced to live as a quadriplegic. Her husband was sentenced to jail, after pleading guilty to Driving Under The Influence (DUI) in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas.
Representing the wife, Kevin R. Marciano, Esquire secured a $4.3 million settlement from the two establishments, including personal contributions to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
$2 Million Pennsylvania Dram Shop Law Settlement
After a 21-year-old woman was killed in a tragic car accident, Marciano & MacAvoy’s dedicated dram shop lawyers were able to recover $2 million for the victim’s family and estate. The young woman’s crash had been caused by a drunk driver, who also happened to be underage at the time.
Despite being both under Pennsylvania’s drinking age and visibly intoxicated, the driver was served alcohol at two local establishments: Philadelphia’s Paddy Whack’s Pub and Southampton’s Kenny’s Bar and Restaurant, now closed after being indicted for bribing an employee of Pennsylvania’s Liquor Control Board. The driver’s blood alcohol content, 0.212%, was more than twice Pennsylvania’s limit at the time of the crash.
$1 Million Dram Shop Liability Settlement
Stephen Nelson and Dennis Fisher, both residents of Delaware County, went out together to have a few drinks. They went to Duffer’s Pub in Glen Mills, which continued serving Nelson long after he became visibly intoxicated.
Nelson and Fisher got into their car and Fisher, the vehicle’s driver, quickly drove into a tree. Mr. Fisher spent the next 78 days in a coma. Nelson was arrested on charges of DUI, but skipped town, leaving Fisher no option for compensation but to sue the establishment that had over-served Nelson.
Suffering from permanent brain damage, Mr. Fisher contacted the attorneys at Marciano & MacAvoy, who quickly threatened Duffer’s with a dram shop lawsuit. But recovery would come sooner than that. Our lawyers secured a $1 million settlement for Mr. Fisher, the bar’s entire insurance policy, before even filing suit.
$900,000 Dram Shop & Drunk Driving Settlement
In Philadelphia, a 20-year-old woman suffered serious injuries in a car crash. The driver, extremely drunk, had just left the Penthouse Club, a strip club where he worked.
While he was off-duty at the time, the club’s bartenders “got a kick out of” serving him the strongest drinks they could think up, despite his obvious intoxication. The driver’s BAC ultimately tested at 0.246%, more than three times the legal limit in Pennsylvania.
Our attorneys reached a settlement of $900,000 with both the drunk driver and the strip club that served him alcohol, allowing our young client to focus on her recovery. Like usual, the settlement agreement’s terms compelled both defendants to make donations to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
$355,000 Drunk Driver & Bar Liquor Liability Settlement
Rochelle Gordon, a single mother of two, was driving in Philadelphia when a drunk driver struck her car. Ms. Gordon suffered severe injuries. Our investigation of the other driver, whose BAC at the time of the accident was 0.21%, led back to the Irish Center, a bar and event venue in Philadelphia.
While he was already visibly-intoxicated, the Irish Center had continued to serve the driver alcohol, in violation of Pennsylvania’s liquor liability laws.
Our dram shop attorneys were able to secure a settlement of $355,000 from the bar and the drunk driver prior to trial, ensuring that Ms. Gordon and her family would be on a good footing during her recovery. The settlement agreement also forced the defendants to make financial contributions to the valuable work of MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
$271,000 Night Club Liquor Liability & Negligent Highway Construction Settlement
After drinking copious amounts of alcohol at a Philadelphia night club, the Roxxy, a drunk driver went on to severely injure our client, a 21-year-old woman. Bartenders at the Roxxy had chosen to serve the driver alcohol, despite his obvious, and extreme, intoxication. His BAC tested 0.233% after the crash, almost 3 times more than Pennsylvania’s legal driving limit.
But the crash had taken place in a construction zone, and during our investigation, we discovered that the contractor in charge of the zone had designed the area’s traffic control pattern negligently. We filed suit against both parties, the club and the contractor, ultimately negotiating a $271,000 settlement for our client.
Undisclosed Liquor Liability Settlement For Assault
Our client, a 47-year-old, was sitting at Philly’s Princeton Tavern when a fight broke out. He intervened, attempting to break up the altercation between three intoxicated patrons. For his efforts, the Good Samaritan was struck in the face. The blow caused severe damage, and our client eventually lost his left eye.
Marciano & MacAvoy’s dram shop attorneys discovered that all three of the fighters had been served alcohol long after becoming visibly intoxicated. The Princeton Tavern, however, had a history. Notorious for its lax bartenders, the establishment had been cited for violations of Pennsylvania’s liquor laws, at a minimum, 10 times prior to the incident involving our client.
Our lawyers secured a favorable settlement against the drunken patrons and Princeton Tavern. According to the settlement agreement’s terms, we are not allowed to report the amount.