News Brief
Burke and Becker Successfully Resolve Two High-Exposure Dram Shop Cases
Jimmy Burke (Partner-White Plains), ably assisted by Christopher Becker (Associate-White Plains), obtained discontinuances in two high-exposure Dram Shop cases. Dram Shop liability was charged against our client, a convenience store, and one other convenience store. The operator of a car with four occupants on a road in upstate New York was legally intoxicated. He swerved off a road at a high rate of speed and hit a tree, and two of the passengers were ejected from the car each suffering massive injuries; each required numerous surgeries. Each case was sustainable in the vicinity of $10 million. Jimmy conducted an investigation and was able to show that while the driver did purchase alcohol at the other store, it was impossible that alcohol could have been purchased at the client’s store. The case became so strong that when Jimmy filed two separate motions for summary judgment, the plaintiffs elected not to oppose and they concentrated on the co-defendant, whose own motions for summary judgment were denied. The case was pending in Supreme Court, Ulster County.
Jimmy and Chris give special thanks to paralegals Hannah King, Eve Sands and Erin Gisolfi for helping to achieve both great results.