Should bartenders be liable for its drunk customers?

[PM_Mama00]

Originally posted by hoosier
Some states have "Dram Shop Laws" making the bar/bartender liable if they over serve a customer. In response, the bars buy "Dram Shop Insurance" which protects them from liability. The cost of the insurance is passed along to the customers in higher drink and food prices. IL is an example of this.

We had an interesting case here in GA this fall. A 7-11 type store refused to sell booze to an obviously drunk guy. He was too drunk to even pump his own gas, so an employee pumped it. The drunk did something bad on the highway, and the store and employee lost in court for pumping gas before the guy hit the road. Suspect this will be appealed, if the store has deep pockets.

I think the 7-11 story is different than a bartender. A bartender doesn't know who is driving unless he personally sees a drunk ass getting in the driver seat of a car. From your story, it sounds like it was obvious that this drunk guy was driving and if it was and the employee knew, he should have called the cops.