Indiana Drunk Driving Attorney
John P. Young, as an Indiana Drunk Driving accident attorney, offers you some of the law regarding providing alcohol to minors. It is illegal to provide alcohol to a minor (Ind. Code 7.1-5-7-8), and to encourage a minor to possess alcohol (Ind. Code 7.1-5-7-15). Violating these statutes creates resumption that the person who violated the statutes is negligent. Negligence is what an Injured Hoosier must prove in order to recover from a person who caused their injuries, and the injuries to their families. It matters not that the person who provides the alcohol is a party host or a bar or a liquor store. The Courts have determined that public policy strongly favors making people who violate these statutes responsible for the harm they cause. Serving alcohol to minors is deemed inappropriate by the same public policy.
Minor drivers have a number of things going against them already, we cannot tolerate minors driving and drinking. Minors have less experience behind the wheel and less experience means less ability to control a car in an emergency. A minor may have that bravado than nothing can happen to me, so they drive recklessly to get a rush or to try and impress their friends. Teenage brains are not fully developed and what might make sense to an adult might not be a danger sign to a teenager. Teenagers are in that texting mode, and may not give the road the full attention it deserves. Mix in alcohol, wherein the reaction time is slowed, the bravado might be increased and the lack of concern for danger grows and you have a recipe for disaster.
Years ago people were not as concerned about these issues as they are today. Drunk driving fatalities among teenagers are still too high, and every wrongful death is painful. However, awareness and tighter control on alcohol are heading fatality statistics in the downward direction.
If you have been injured by a drunk driver, call John P. Young. The call is toll free 1-888-639-5161 or on the web at john@youngandyoungin.com. We guarantee we will charge no fee unless we collect fair compensation for you and your family. Call today.