A lawsuit has been filed against Supervalue, Inc., a Minnesota-based company and Albertsons, LLC, the alleged owners of an Albertsons store that sold alcohol to an underage driver who later crashed his car into a bridge, killing himself and paralyzing Ryan Costello, a 22-year-old who has been in a wheelchair since the accident. The lawsuit was filed in Florida on Wednesday. This was a tragic and inexcusable accident.
Claims against stores that sell liquor are called dram shop claims. Under Minnesota law, dram shops are liable for accident injuries and deaths when they sell liquor to a minor driver who has an accident while intoxicated.
When we handle auto accident cases involving a drunk driver, we always investigate to determine if a dram shop violation played a role in the car accident. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1) the dram shop should be punished for breaking the law and 2) it provides the victim or heirs another party to pursue for compensation.
Ryan Costello’s mother explains why the lawsuit against Supervalue and Albertsons is important to her:
“It has been beyond catastrophic for a single mother,” she said.
The lawsuit is not just about the money, she said. Costello often talks to DUI offender classes about the dangers of drinking and driving, and she says she just wants to see a store she believes is consistently selling alcohol to minors to stop.
“I am not saying my son is not responsible for his part of what happened to him. As you can see, he’s paying severely for what he did,” Costello said. “I just want Albertsons to be held responsible to operate under the letter of the law. One boy lost his life, another boy lost the life he knew. I just don’t want any other mothers to go through this.”1
In these cases, dram shops are often not willing to settle for full and adequate compensation. Our attorneys have significant trial experience and have been successful against dram shops.
To contact an auto accident attorney at PritzkerOlsen, please call 612-338-0202, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll-free) or submit our free consultation form.
Reference:
1. Robert Napper, Family sues Albertsons over debilitating crash, Brandenton Herald, February 5, 2009.
