Maryland Taverns Shielded from Liability Caused by Intoxicated Patrons — For Now
In Warr v. JMGM Group, LLC, 433 Md. 170 (2013), the Court of Appeals of Maryland reaffirmed that taverns, bars or others who serve alcohol are not liable for serving visibly intoxicated patrons who thereafter cause automobile accidents. In Warr, Michael Eaton spent approximately six (6) hours at Dogfish Head Alehouse drinking roughly twenty-one alcoholic drinks, and he became “violent and aggressive.” While Mr. Eaton was being served at Dogfish Head Alehouse, he was “‘clearly intoxicated.’” Mr. Eaton left the bar and was traveling between eighty-eight (88) to ninety-eight (98) miles per hour when he struck another vehicle, which caused…