The family of Jazmine Warr is suing Dogfish Head Alehouse owner JMGM Group LLC for her Maryland wrongful death. The 10-year-old girl died from injuries she sustained during a Montgomery County car accident in on Interstate 270 August 2008. Her half sister Cortovia Harris, then 11, survived the crash with injuries, as did William J. Warr Jr., 53 and Angela T. Warr, 45.
Warr was fatally injured when the 1995 Jeep Cherokee that she was riding was struck by a vehicle driven by Michael D. Eaton, who has pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a vehicle and failure to remain at an accident scene where the defendant should have known or knew that death occurred. Eaton was reportedly driving his auto at speeds of 88 to 99 mph when he rear-ended the car that the Warrs were in.
Maryland State Police reports state that Eaton, a known drunk, spent at least two hours at the Dogfish Head Alehouse before the catastrophic collision. More than a dozen empty beer bottles were found in hisvehicle following the 2008 accident.
In their Maryland car accident complaint, the family is seeking $3.25 million: $2 million for burial, medical, and funeral costs for Jazmine and $1.25 million for pain, injuries, suffering, and continued medical bills for William, Angela, and Cortovia. They settled Cortovia’s Maryland injuries to a minor case against Eaton for $100,000. Maryland is one of several US states that does not hold bars civilly liable for serving alcohol to patrons that are intoxicated.
Drunk driving kills thousands every year. There may be a way to hold a careless driver or another party that was involved liable for Maryland personal injury.
Alehouse sued for serving man guilty of manslaughter, Gazette.net, December 15, 2010
Bar sued after patron’s crash kills girl, The Washington Post, December 14, 2010
Driver In I-270 Hit-And-Run Fatal Accident Surrenders, WUSA9, 2008
Related Web Resources:
Alcohol-Impaired Driving, NHTSA (PDF)
Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration