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<title>negligent overservice - Supreme Court of Washington Blog</title>
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<lastBuildDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:04:09 -0800</lastBuildDate>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:35:33 -0800</pubDate>
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<title>Opinion: Jury award reinstated for serving alcohol to drunk driver</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/index.cfm?fa=opinions.showOpinion&amp;filename=813566MAJ"><strong><em>Faust v. Albertson</em>, No. 81356-6.</strong></a> Hawkeye Kinkaid was extremely drunk when his car crossed the center line and struck a car driven by Bianca Faust. Kinkaid died and Faust and her passengers were injured, including one who was rendered paraplegic. Faust sued the Moose Lodge where Kinkaid had been drinking and Alexis Chapman, Kinkaid's girlfriend who had also been serving him drinks. A jury found the Lodge and Chapman liable for negligent overservice according to <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=66.44.200"><strong>RCW 66.44.200</strong></a> and awarded Faust a $14 million judgment. The trial court denied defendants' motion for judgment as a matter of law.</p>
<p>The Division One Court of Appeals <a href="http://caselaw.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=wa&amp;vol=2008_app/578219MAJ&amp;invol=4"><strong>reversed and vacated</strong></a> the judgment, believing that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to show that Kinkaid was &quot;apparently under the influence of liquor&quot; as required by the statute. Here, in an opinion by Justice Owens, the Court unanimously overturns the Court of Appeals decision and reinstates the jury verdict. The Court also rejects the arguments of amici Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Washington State Association of Justice Foundation (trial lawyers) that the threshold for plaintiffs in these cases should be lowered. (<a href="http://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/coaBriefs/index.cfm?fa=coabriefs.briefsByHearingDate&amp;courtId=A08&amp;year=2009#a20090512"><strong>briefs</strong></a>, <a href="http://tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2009050046B&amp;TYPE=V&amp;CFID=4983857&amp;CFTOKEN=44561695&amp;bhcp=1 "><strong>argument</strong></a>, <a href="http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/991022.html"><strong>AP story</strong></a>)</p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.wasupremecourtblog.com/2009/07/articles/opinions/opinion-jury-award-reinstated-for-serving-alcohol-to-drunk-driver/</link>
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<category>Faust v. Alberton</category><category>Mothers Against Drunk Driving</category><category>Opinions</category><category>Susan Owens</category><category>drunk driving</category><category>negligence</category><category>negligent overservice</category><category>opinion</category><category>trial lawyers</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:04:09 -0800</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Trent England</dc:creator>

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