Nightclub Liability

Injuries & Premises Liability at Bars & Nightclubs

Bars and nightclubs are places filled with potential hazards, as alcohol consumption and large groups of people can quickly create a recipe for trouble. When guests are injured at bars or nightclubs, they may have the right to pursue monetary compensation for their damages by holding the owners of these facilities liable.

In order to prove that a facility owner is liable, victims must present evidence that the nightclub’s negligence caused them harm.

Bar or nightclub negligence may involve the following:

• Premises Liability – Premises liability is the area of law that establishes the legal duties of premises owners. Generally, owners of bars and nightclubs are legally required to ensure that they provide a safe environment and that guests are kept free from preventable harm. If a premises owner fails to address or fix a potential hazard they knew or should have known about and a visitor suffers harm, premises owners may be held liable for this negligence.
• Inadequate Security – Failing to provide adequate or competent security can be a form of negligence. Because bars and nightclubs are places where third party altercations (fights) are common, facility owners should takereasonable measures to employ security that protects visitors’ safety. If a nightclub is located in a high-crime area where assaults or robberies are common, it may also be reasonable to employ sufficient security.
• Failure to Maintain Order – Failing to maintain order within a bar or nightclub can lead to third party altercations during which patrons can easily be injured. If these altercations could have reasonably been prevented by premises owners and employees but were not, victims may have grounds for compensation.
• Allowing Excessive Drinking – Overly intoxicated persons pose significant threats to others around them. Bars and nightclubs can potentially be held liable for over-serving patrons who later cause harm to others, especially if there is evidence that these persons were clearly intoxicated. In Washington, DC – but not Maryland or Virginia – bar and nightclub owners may also potentially be held liable for over-serving patrons who later injure or kill others in drunk driving accidents, or as a result of their intoxication. This is known as dram shop liability.

Experienced Washington, DC Nightclub, Bar and Dram Shop Injury Lawyers

At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata & Siegel, P.C., our legal team is experienced in representing victims who were injured as the result of premises owners’ negligence, including owners of bars and nightclubs. Our experience includes a high-profile case involving a fatal shooting and stabbing outside of a DC nightclub. Security was inadequate and failed to maintain order prior to the altercation.

If you or your loved one has been injured while at a bar or nightclub – including injuries resulting from third party altercations and assaults – you may have a right to hold facility owners liable for physical, emotional, and / or financial damages. Our Washington, DC personal injury attorneys are prepared to support you through these difficult times, fight zealously on your behalf, and work toward securing the compensation you deserve.

Learn more about your nightclub or bar injury case and how our firm can help by calling (202) 659-8600 for a FREE consultation. We serve clients throughout the DC Metro Area from office locations in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.