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Minot Bar Fight Lawyers
Minot bar fight attorneys offering strong advocacy for victims of bar fights and shootings in North Dakota
Bars and taverns can be a nice place to spend time with old friends or meet new friends. It’s enjoyable to have a drink or two after work or just to get out of the house. There might be a good game to watch. Unfortunately, the camaraderie of a bar can escalate into a fight or the use of a weapon because alcohol affects the judgment of drinkers. Some people become agitated or upset the more they consume a few beers or hard liquor. At Larson Law Firm P.C., our Minot bar fight lawyers understand the unique challenges in holding liquor establishments, bouncers, and other patrons accountable for the injuries and deaths they cause.
How can we help?
- Why do bar fights happen in Minot?
- Who is responsible for a bar fight in Minot?
- How does my role in a bar fight affect my personal injury claim?
- How does North Dakota’s Dram shop law affect my personal injury claim?
- How do your lawyers fight for bar fight victims and families in North Dakota?
- Do you have a Minot bar fight lawyer near me?
Why do bar fights happen in Minot?
Fights in bars are fairly common. Almost every old Western TV or movie includes at least one brawl – over a poker game, the love of a woman, other towns, or a host of personal reasons.
According to a University of Toronto Magazine article, aggression, especially among young people is a common cause. One in three men and one in five women between 18 and 30 said that they had experienced aggression in the past year (either as the victim or the perpetrator). The most common location for this aggression was bars.
A major cause of bar fights is the alcohol that is served. According to Healthline, “alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant. It affects parts of your brain responsible for movement, memory, self-control, and basic functions like hunger and thirst.” Alcohol affects the frontal lobe, which is responsible for emotional regulation, impulse control, decision making, regulating behavior, and planning. Changes in these functions can cause anger which can lead to aggression.
The patrons who participate in bar fights may be criminally charged with various criminal charges including disorderly conduct, assault, and manslaughter.
Free Case Evaluation
Call 701-484-4878 now or fill out the form above to receive a free confidential consultation.
Who is responsible for a bar fight in Minot?
At Larson Law Firm P.C., our Minot injury lawyers file claims against every responsible party if you are injured while in a bar fight or if someone you love is killed in a bar fight.
The possible defendants include:
- The owner of the bar, tavern, or liquor establishment
- Security personnel and bouncers
- The person(s) who struck you
Premises liability law
In North Dakota, the owners of any property including a bar, a tavern, or a hotel that serves liquor owe a duty to their customers to take reasonable precautions to prevent harm to the customers. While each case and each bar fight is unique, generally bar owners can be liable, under premises liability law, if they:
- Fail to anticipate that fights, assaults, aggressive conduct, and shootings may occur.
- Fail to hire security personnel and bouncers – especially where there is a prior history of bar fights, the bar is likely to become crowded, or for other common sense reasons based on the location and general characteristics of the bar.
- Fail to monitor the parking lot and other accessible areas near the bar.
- Fail to monitor the conduct of the security personnel and bouncers to ensure they don’t use excessive force.
How does my role in a bar fight affect my personal injury claim?
The circumstances of a bar fight affect your right to seek damages. North Dakota has a comparative negligence law (32-03.2-02. Modified comparative fault) that provides that you can only collect damages if you are less than 50% liable.
If you are innocently drinking or eating when another person in the bar strikes you without any provocation, then you should be able to file a personal injury claim against that person. The person who struck you, if the police are called, will likely also be charged with a crime.
If you and another patron voluntarily agree to fight each other, then you will both be equally liable. In this event, neither you nor your opponent can file a personal injury claim. Moreover, you both may be arrested for assault.
If you are attacked and then defend yourself by hitting the attacker, you should be able to file a personal claim and obtain your full damages.
Your level of fault, if any, depends on exactly how the fight happened and who was involved in the fight. Some fights just involve two people. Some fights involve multiple people.
The use of weapons is a whole other level of conversation that our Minot bar fight lawyers will help you with. There are laws and general principles on who can have weapons, who can use weapons, when weapons can be used in self-defense, and when excessive force is not permitted.
How does North Dakota’s Dram shop law affect my personal injury claim?
Most states, including North Dakota, have dram shop laws. (A dram is a measurement of liquor.) North Dakota’s law provides that a bar can be held liable for any accidents caused by:
- Any patron who is served liquor while visibly intoxicated, or
- An underage patron.
While dram shop laws are often used when the person who was improperly served causes a car accident, our Minot bar fight lawyers also seek to hold liquor establishments that violate North Dakota’s dram shop law accountable for any fights that occur after the liquor is served.
How do your lawyers fight for bar fight victims and families in North Dakota?
At Larson Law Firm P.C., our Minot bar fight lawyers work to show who was liable for your injuries by:
- Working with investigators who examine the location of the bar and speak with any eyewitnesses.
- Questioning every defendant and everyone who has knowledge of the fight or attack through the formal discovery process
- Requesting to know what other fights or altercations have previously occurred at the bar
- Speaking with the police who may have been called to the bar after the fight
We also work with your doctors and our network of doctors, if necessary, to:
- Show that the fight caused your injuries
- Identify the injuries you have
- Review the course of medical care you will need
- Detail the cost of your medical care
- Explain every way that your injuries are making your life difficult
- Verify any scars, disfigurement, loss of function, and loss of life’s pleasures that you have
We demand full compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and loss of quality of life. We often seek punitive damages because physical assaults are unacceptable behavior.
We handle all types of fights including being struck with a beer bottle, sucker punched, or shot.
We also handle all types of injuries, including gunshot wounds, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, broken bones, loss of vision, hearing loss, muscle damage, nerve damage, bruises, and other injuries.
Do you have a Minot bar fight lawyer near me?
At Larson Law Firm P.C., our personal injury lawyers meet clients at our Minot office located at 1020 North Broadway. Our team will also meet with you at your home or a hospital if you are too injured to come to our office. We do conduct consultations by phone and through video conferences.
We’ll answer all your questions about bar fights and guide you through each step of the claims process.
Contact our Minot bar fight and bar shooting lawyers now
Bars and taverns should know that serving alcohol can lead to fights. They must take appropriate steps to prevent fights before they happen and break them up when they occur. At Larson Law Firm P.C., our Minot bar fight lawyers have helped numerous victims just like you obtain strong recoveries. We’re respected by former clients, insurance companies, and defense lawyers for our record of success.
If you were hurt or a loved one was killed in a bar fight or shooting, call Larson Law Firm P.C. or complete our contact form to schedule your free initial consultation. We have offices in Minot, Bismarck, and Fargo and we represent the injured throughout North Dakota. We’re ready to assert your rights today.