A suspicious turn of events is being reported in the Santa Fe wrongful death case. Lawyers for a Santa Fe bar have contacting authorities claiming to have knowledge of where the driver was who caused the accident earlier in the evening. Considering law enforcement officers suspect the collision is another New Mexico drunk driving accident, it seems as though there may be a possible dram shop violation involving the accident.
New Mexico dram shop law is centered around a body of statutes that prohibit bars and restaurants from selling or providing alcohol to intoxicated individuals. In the event it can be shown that the driver of the vehicle that caused the horrific Santa Fe wrongful death accident involving a local ambulance, and that such person was over-served alcohol, then the bar may be liable for some if not all of the damages that arose from the accident.
Dram shop law in New Mexico is highly specialized, and the cases are often very complex. Typically, one of the most difficult issues in proving that the alcohol served to the driver was the alcohol that made her sufficiently intoxicated so as to cause the accident.