Charles Stokes Wins Defense Verdict in Pennsylvania Dram Shop Case With Exposure Over $22 Million

On April 8, 2015, Charles Stokes obtained a defense verdict in a dram shop case in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The plaintiff claimed that he had been served alcohol while visibly intoxicated at the restaurant owned and operated by Mr. Stokes’ clients, in violation of the Pennsylvania Liquor Code. The plaintiff was later involved in a one-vehicle accident on his way to a nightclub when he lost control of his car and crashed into a tree. Approximately four hours after leaving the restaurant, the plaintiff’s blood alcohol level was nearly double the level of threshold intoxication. The plaintiff’s alleged injuries included a severe traumatic brain injury requiring a decompressive craniectomy, installation of an intracranial pressure monitor, numerous facial fractures requiring surgery, and a seven week hospitalization followed by 10 weeks at an inpatient rehabilitation facility. The plaintiff claimed economic damages, including a life care plan claiming that he would have to spend most of his life in a residential care facility, exceeding $22 million. After a trial that lasted seven days, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendants finding that the plaintiff was not served while visibly intoxicated.