Seattle Injury Lawyer Blog
The Back Door Pub in the 12300 block of Lake City Way NE, Washington became the scene of an accident that injured one woman when a man in his 30s allegedly crashed his car into the bar. The woman was pinned between the building and the man’s vehicle. According to the owner of the bar, the man sped his SUV toward a power pole but instead veered toward a group of people and crashed into the building, damaging a wall.
The 31-year-old woman pinned against the building had to be extricated. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center where she was treated for a fractured leg.
The bar owner alleged the man purposely caused the accident because he had been refused a drink at the bar. Police are investigating the accident but have not yet confirmed if the driver was arrested or is facing a DUI charge.
Like most states, Washington has statutes against serving intoxicated customers and may be liable if a customer becomes involved in a drunk driving accident. In this case, the man may have been drinking in the bar before he was refused another drink. Depending on the results of the police investigation, some of the liability for the accident may fall on the owner of the bar.
If the allegations the man purposely used his SUV to cause damage are included in the police investigation report and can be proven, he may be held responsible for compensation of damages caused by the accident. Medical expenses, loss of wages, and pain and suffering are a few categories a plaintiff could ask for in a compensation settlement as a result of a serious injury.
Source: Q13 FOX, “Car crashes into Lake City bar, woman injured“, September 04, 2014