J.R. Phinickey’s Steakhouse Linked to Most Drunk Driving Cases in Washington

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Every time the police pull over a suspected drunk driver they ask that person where they most recently had a drink. Washington state police keep track of all the answers given, and although not all drunk drivers will be completely honest about where they were, the compiled list still gives a pretty accurate portrayal of where over serving is a problem. As a Seattle auto accident attorney working at a Renton personal injury law firm, I know just how dangerous drinking and driving can be and the devastating effect a serious person injury or even wrongful death can have on a family.

This weekend Washington State patrol released their list of the top restaurants and bars where over serving is a problem and at the top of that list was J.R. Phinickey’s Steakhouse in Marysville. The owner, Chuck Delacerda, claims that his bartenders aren’t trying to over serve, and that the police are unfairly staking out his restaurant to make money off of DUI’s. Regardless of whether or not the police are purposely patrolling the area looking for suspected drunk drivers, they seem to be finding them outside the Steakhouse. Most drinkers do not have the self-control necessary to know when they have reached a stopping point, but it is a bartenders/servers/managers responsibility not to over serve, and in most cases it isn’t hard to tell when someone has had too much.

Those establishments that made the list need to step up and make some serious changes to how they run their business. They also need to sit down and train their staff to recognize when it is time to cut someone off. Driving under the influence is a personal decision, and if you cut someone off who’s to say that they won’t just go to another bar, but not over serving one person could be the difference between life and death for the hundreds of people that will be on the road with them when they leave your bar.

If you are a Washington State resident and have suffered personal injuries or are dealing with the wrongful death of a family member due to another person’s reckless driving click here to receive our FREE Washington auto accident books.