How much would I win in a wrongful death lawsuit against a drunk driver who killed my husband?

How much money you recover for your husband’s death depends on the insurance coverage available to pay the claim. In many cases, the drunk driver will not have good insurance, but if he or she was sold alcohol at a bar or elsewhere before the accident, you may have a “dram shop claim” against that establishment. If this is the case, your chances of recovering significant amounts of money in a wrongful death lawsuit against a drunk driver who killed your husband are greatly increased.

What is a dram shop claim?

Drunk Driver Accident Dram shop laws hold bars and other establishments that sell liquor responsible for the dangerous actions of an intoxicated person when they have illegally sold alcohol to that person. In addition to bars and liquor stores, these establishments can include restaurants, social clubs, and sometimes even private events where liquor is sold.

Generally, “dram shops” are liable when they have violated a law or regulation in the state where the liquor was served. Examples include the following:

Selling alcohol to an obviously intoxicated customer;
Selling alcohol without a license to do so;
Selling alcohol after hours; or
Selling alcohol to a minor.

We have represented many victims of drunk driving accidents and their families. Our goal in these case – and in all of our cases – is both to help our clients get on with their lives but also to hold accountable all of the parties who caused the harm to our clients. In many cases, that means not only the drunk driver, but also the dram shop whose illegal sale contributed to the accident.

What is a wrongful death lawsuit?

A wrongful death lawsuit involves specific laws that outline the procedures a family must go through to sue the parties responsible for the death, in your case the drunk driver who killed your husband and possibly a dram shop. A wrongful death lawsuit is not a criminal prosecution. Only state or federal prosecutors can bring criminal charges. The sole reason for a wrongful death claim is to compensate the heirs of the decedent for their loss.

Each state has different laws about the type of losses for which wrongful death compensation is allowed.

All states allow for the recovery of lost income the decedent would have provided his loved ones.
Most states do not allow recovery for grief or anger suffered by the surviving heirs, but do allow money damages for the loss of advice, care, comfort and companionship the deceased would have provided had he or she lived.
Some states also allow money damages for the pain and suffering of the deceased person prior to death.

In all of our accident death cases, our wrongful death lawyers take the time to get to know who the person who died was, what that person meant to the family (both financially and emotionally), what the person’s job was and what future prospects the person may have had, and what the person’s hobbies and other community activities were. We try to get as full a picture as possible of the person’s life because we have to persuasively present evidence as to the value of that life. The process is difficult for the family, but we understand and try to make it part of the healing process and not an additional burden.
Our goals are to get justice for families and to make sure they do not needlessly suffer financially.

PritzkerOlsen attorneys represent families in wrongful death lawsuits throughout the United States. Their offices are in Minneapolis, MN. States: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Free Case Consultation

Free Information

Settlements, Verdicts and News

Minnesota Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Wins Millions for Motorcycle Passenger

Attorney Fred Pritzker won $6,000,000 for a woman whose right leg was amputated when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger was struck by a drunk driver. Fred filed claims against the drunk driver and a bar under Minnesota's dram shop liability laws.

Bicycle Accident Wrongful Death Verdict

Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman won a $2,469,339 verdict in a wrongful death case on behalf of a 52-year-old female bicyclist run over by a right turning tractor-semi-trailer.

AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell

Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman have been given the highest rating by Martindale-Hubbell for attorney, AV Preeminent. An AV® certification mark is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.

Twin Cities Truck Tire Wrongful Death Verdict

Our Twin Cities law firm recently won $2,850,000 for a family whose loved one was killed by a truck tire that crashed through a car windshield. Read about a truck wheel off accident.

Tow Truck Accident in Beltrami County

Minnesota personal injury attorneys Fred Pritzker and Elliot Olsen obtained a $2,750,000 settlement for a 59 year-old truck driver who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the loss of his left eye and significant disfigurement when the tow chain being used to pull the man’s semi tractor-trailer out of a ditch broke loose from a front-end loader to which it was attached. The accident happened in Bemidji, Minnesota. This was a work injury involving a third party claim.

Semi-Truck Crash Settlement

Pritzker Olsen attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman recently obtained a hard-fought $2,560,000 recovery for a couple who were seriously injured in a semi-truck crash. The husband suffered serious head injury (TBI). Read about the semi truck crash settlement.

Our lawyers have recovered millions more for our clients. Contact us for a free consultation about your accident.

Adjunct Teaching Position At U of M Law School

Attorney Brendan Flaherty has accepted an adjunct teaching position at the University of Minnesota Law School. For the 2011 spring semester, Flaherty will teach a course entitled "Practice and Professionalism," which will introduce students to foundational lawyering skills and professional responsibility issues.

Fred Pritzker Listed in The Best Lawyers in America

Fred Pritzker has been notified that he will again be listed in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in personal injury litigation.

Minnesota State Patrol Reports

SOUTHBOUND TOYOTA PRIUS CROSSED CENTER LINE AND STRUCK NORTHBOUND FORD ESCAPE ON HIGHWAY 15 IN WATONWAN COUNTY. THE NAME OF THE JUVENILE DRIVER OF THE PRIUS WILL NOT BE RELEASED. CRASH CAUSE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE DRIVER OF THE FORD ESCAPE WAS GARY FENRICH OF FAIRMONT, WHO DIED AT THE SCENE.
VEHICLE 1 SB ON 35 I, DRIVER DOSED OFF, VEARED INTO MEDIAN, STRUCK MULTIPLE MEDIAN POST ON I35 IN RICE COUNTY. VEHICLE THEN TRAVELED ACROSS SB LANES AND ROLLED 1 COMPLETE TIME INTO SB DITCH. COMING TO REST ON ITS SIDE. INJURED PASSENGERS INCLUDED RODOLFO VEGA, IVAN WALLS AND CARL EDWARDS.
A FORD LTG REAR ENDED A HONDA ACCORD ON HIGHWAY 14 IN NICOLLET COUNTY. THE DRIVERS AND TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.
A CAB-LESS JOHN DEERE FARM TRACTOR WAS EAST BOUND ON CO 27 WHEN IT WAS REAR-ENDED BY A FORD PICKUP. THE IMPACT EJECTED THE DRIVER OF THE TRACTOR ONTO ROADWAY WHERE HE WAS STRUCK BY A NISSAN PICKUP. ASSISTING WERE: SLEEPY EYE AMBULANCE AND ALLINA AMBULANCE.

This is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The result of each case is determined by the specific facts and the applicable law.