Everyone loses their cool at one time or another.  But high emotions combined with alcohol can be a tragic combination, as reports related to bar fights demonstrate:

• As a man was leaving a local Bethesda bar at 2:00 one morning, another individual struck him, and he tumbled to the ground. That’s when a third assailant joined in the attack. As the victim tried to escape, he discovered he’d been stabbed. When another man came out of the bar and tried to break up the fight, he, too, was stabbed.

• After two men argued inside a restaurant and bar in Silver Spring, they agreed to step outside to duke it out. One of the men was quite large and had been trained in boxing maneuvers. He landed a punch against his opponent and dropped the smaller man to the ground, where the pummeling continued. The winner of the brawl started to walk away, then reconsidered and returned to deliver three quick stomps to the head of his victim. Nine and a half months later, that victim died, after having spent all those months in a vegetative state.

Consequences 

These are just a couple of cases of bar fights that took a serious turn—the latter was actually lethal. Criminal charges are always an option in situations like these, and, while that may put an aggressor behind bars, it doesn’t offer the financial assistance victims and their families deserve after suffering horrific physical, mental, and emotional injuries.  That’s where a civil personal injury and/or wrongful death lawsuit comes in—but only under certain circumstances.

Contributory Negligence 

When someone suffers personal injury to the mind or body due to the negligent or intentional actions of another, they are allowed to seek compensation –or damages–to address medical bills and funeral costs, lost wages, and more. However, under Maryland‘s contributory negligence law a victim who was partially at fault may not recover a dime. There is a significant exception to this rule, however, called the last clear chance doctrine.

The Last Clear Chance Doctrine 

The last clear chance doctrine allows plaintiffs to recover monetary compensation even if they were partly responsible for their injuries if the defendant had the last clear opportunity to circumvent the problem, but chose not to do so when they knew that staying on course could harm the plaintiff and refrained from using reasonable care in order to avoid causing injuries.

Is a Civil Claim the Right Move? 

If you are not sure whether or not you have a case, the experienced and dedicated Baltimore personal injury attorneys at The Law Office of Hasson D. Barnes can analyze your situation and make recommendations. We always fight for the best possible outcomes for you. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation in our Baltimore office today.

Source:

mocoshow.com/2024/01/26/two-stabbed-after-large-fight-at-bethesda-bar/