Dram Shop | Best, Vanderlaan & Harrington | Chicago, Illinois
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Practice Areas

Restaurant/Bar Liability

The Illinois Liquor Control Act (also known as the Dram Shop Act) provides a potential statutory cause of action for anyone who has been injured by an alleged intoxicated person against entities in the business of selling alcohol. The Liquor Control Act is the exclusive remedy for individuals seeking to hold liquor licensees responsible for their injuries as a result of the sale or gift of alcoholic beverages. Any such cause of action must be filed within one year of accrual of the cause of action, without exception.

Successful defense of claims brought pursuant to the Illinois Dram Shop Act requires intimate knowledge of the various elements of proof necessary for a finding of liability as well as which defenses can preclude such a finding. Further, because of the cap on damages, Dram Shop defense requires lawyers who can provide quality representation based on cost-effective defense strategies. BVH represents restaurants, bars, taverns and package liquor stores throughout the state of Illinois. Our liquor liability attorneys are well versed in handling such claims and have the specialized knowledge of the strict time limitations, defenses, damages, statutory caps and nuances of this area of the law that is essential to defend our clients in a cost-effective manner. BVH works with our clients to accomplish cost-effective solutions to early resolution, where the case dictates the same or where our clients' philosophy mandates settlement. However, if a trial is needed in order to resolve a case, our attorneys will aggressively try any case and have proven trial results in this specialized area of the law.