Assault can be a traumatic experience that leaves physical and emotional scars. While it can happen anywhere, it may be more common to see this violent behavior in bars and night clubs where drug and alcohol consumption may be prevalent.
If a patron assaulted you in one of these places, your first instinct may be to file a claim against that person. However, in certain cases, you may have a case against the bar or club where the incident took place.
Under Georgia law, a bar or night club must exercise care in maintaining a safe premises. They should take measures to mitigate the chances of injury or harm happening to people on their grounds. Some of the preventative measures may include:
- Providing adequate security
- Installing video cameras to monitor activity
- Ensuring there’s proper lighting throughout the premises
If the bar failed to take precaution and it resulted in your assault, you may have a case.
For example, perhaps a bar owner noticed the lights in their parking lot went out last week but didn’t replace them. Nobody told you, the customer, about the burnt-out lights. This led to you walking to your car in the dark, where someone you didn’t see attacked you.
In this situation, you may have a claim because the owner did not exercise precaution by installing new lights.
Bars must also serve alcohol responsibly. By law, bartenders cannot serve obviously intoxicated customers. If bartenders overserved the person who committed assault, the bar may be liable, considering the role alcohol plays in elevating aggressive behavior.
It is important that establishments do their part to protect the people who frequent them. However, cases like this can be tricky. A personal injury attorney can help you determine whether you have a claim.