You went out last night to have a few drinks and an out of control patron assaulted you causing you to incur thousands of dollars in medical bills—who is liable for your injuries?
Of course, the individual who assaulted you is likely a target for any lawsuit. However the perpetrator may be judgment proof and the bar may be the only entity you can recover from.
While bars in Wisconsin enjoy broad immunity from liability for overserving patrons alcohol, they may be liable in situations like the one above.
An owner of a bar has a duty to protect the members of the public while they are on the premises of the bar. This duty extends to fights that occur in the bar’s parking lot. When patrons “take it outside” the bar may still be liable.
If you are a patron who was injured due to the recklessness or belligerence of another patron, it is important that you act quickly to preserve electronic evidence, such as cctv footage, as well as physical evidence, such as blood-stained clothes.