Court Opinion

ID: 9693599
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 16:51:59.525462+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:19:48.833014
License: Public Domain

DAY, J.
(dissenting). I dissent and would affirm the trial court in this case.
In the last twenty years, several states have recognized common law causes of action against vendors of intoxicating beverages.1 Rappaport v. Nichols, 31 N. J. 188, 156 *495A.2d 1, 75 A.L.R.2d 821 (1959), was a landmark case in this area. In that case, the court noted that New Jersey had had a Civil Damage Law (or Dram Shop Act) during Prohibition which had imposed strict liability for compensatory and punitive damages upon unlawful sellers of alcoholic beverages. The act was repealed in 1934.
Applying normal principles of tort liability, the court said:
“The repealer left unimpaired the fundamental negligence principles which admittedly prevail in New Jersey and upon which the plaintiff grounds his common law claim. . . . Negligence is tested by whether the reasonably prudent person at the time and place should recognize and foresee an unreasonable risk or likelihood of harm or danger to others. . . . And correspondingly, the standard of care is the conduct of the reasonable person of ordinary prudence, under the circumstances
“The negligence may consist in the creation of a situation which involves unreasonable risk because of the expectable action of another. . . . Where a tavern keeper sells alcoholic beverages to a person who is visibly intoxicated or to a person he knows or should know from the circumstances to be a minor, he ought to recognize and foresee the unreasonable risk of harm to others through action of the intoxicated person or the minor.
“The defendants contend that, assuming their conduct was unlawful and negligent as charged in the complaint it was nevertheless not the proximate cause of the injuries suffered. But a tortfeasor is generally held answerable for the injuries which result in the ordinary course of events from his negligence and it is generally sufficient if his negligent conduct was a substantial *496factor in bringing about the injuries.” Rappaport v. Nichols, supra, 156 A.2d at 8, 9.
Three members of the court in Garcia v. Hargrove, 46 Wis.2d 724, 176 N.W.2d 566 (1970), took a similar approach in the dissent authored by the late Chief Justice Hallows:
“The time has arrived when this court should again exercise its inherent power as the guardian of the common law and hold upon general principles of common-law negligence a person, who, when he knows or should have known a person is intoxicated, sells or gives intoxicating liquor to such a person, is guilty of a negligent act; and if such negligence is a substantial factor in causing harm to a third person, he should be liable with the drunken person under our comparative-negligence doctrine. Conceded, the common law in this state for almost one hundred years has been to the contrary. Dillon v. Linder, 36 Wis. 344 (1874) ; Demge v. Feierstein, 222 Wis. 199, 268 N.W. 210; (1936); Seibel v. Leach, 233 Wis. 66, 288 N.W. 774 (1939) ; Farmers Mut. Automobile Ins. Co. v. Gast, 17 Wis.2d 344, 117 N.W.2d 347 (1962), but the basis upon which these cases were decided is sadly eroded by the shift from commingling alcohol and horses to commingling alcohol and horsepower.” Garcia, supra, 46 Wis.2d at 737.
I see no reason not to apply normal principles of tort liability instead of making a special exception for the vendors of alcohol. As the court stated in A. E. Investment Corp. v. Link Builders, Inc., 62 Wis.2d 479, 483, 484, 214 N.W.2d 764 (1974) :
“. . . . The duty of any person is the obligation of due care to refrain from any act which will cause foreseeable harm to others even though the nature of that harm and the identity of the harmed person or harmed interest is unknown at the time of the act. . . .
“A defendant’s duty is established when it can be said that it was foreseeable that his act or omission to act may cause harm to someone. A party is negligent *497when he commits an act when some harm to someone is foreseeable. Once negligence is established, the defendant is liable for unforeseeable consequences as well as foreseeable ones. In addition, he is liable to unforeseeable plaintiffs.”
• To call remote the link between a fatal automobile accident and the serving of alcohol to an intoxicated person is to ignore reality. The New York court in Berkeley v. Park, supra, 262 N.Y.S.2d at 293 commented that the Rwppaport and Waynick cases:
“. . . rejected as simply unreal the distinction that the selling of alcohol is only a remote cause of resulting intoxication while the consumption is the proximate cause. On the question of foreseeability, the cases, citing reports of the National Safety Council, modern conditions, drunkenness and driving, and the almost universal use of automobiles, stated that the consequences of serving an intoxicated person who drives an automobile more alcohol, were easily foreseeable to the reasonable person.”
Wisconsin Accident Facts 1977, published by the Traffic Accident Data Section of the Division of Motor Vehicles, shows that 945 persons were killed in Wisconsin motor vehicle traffic accidents in 1977. Of the 514 drivers who were killed in accidents, 422 were tested for blood alcohol content. 221 of those drivers were legally intoxicated with blood alcohol levels of .10 or above.
I conclude that the vendor in this case was guilty of a negligent act if he sold intoxicating beverages to a person who he knew or should have known was intoxicated and who he knew or should have known would be driving in an intoxicated condition. If such negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to a third person; the commercial vendor here should be liable with the intoxicated person under the comparative negligence rule.
*498The defendant points to the first Garcia case as the “law” that should be followed and the majority of this court agrees. But the Garcia I opinion was by a four to three vote. It fails to take into account the fact that we bear a tremendous social cost from the death and maiming that takes place on our highways because of drivers whose senses are dulled by alcohol.
The tragedy of this family, where the wife and mother was killed returning from work is another example of the failure of a policy of placing sole responsibility on the consumer of alcohol. Until those who furnish alcohol to one who has obviously had more than he can handle are made to share responsibility, the scene will be repeated again and again and the list of innocent victims will continue to grow. Following repeal of prohibition, the legislature wisely made it a crime to serve one who is intoxicated or bordering on intoxication.2 When a *499purveyor of alcohol flouts that law he. should share with the intemperate consumer the blame for the often tragic results. If money could be lost as well as made from serving those already intoxicated it would undoubtedly cut down the number roving the highways unfit to drive because of over indulgence in alcohol.
I would hold that violation of the statutes making it a crime to serve an intoxicated person is negligence per se, and gives rise to a civil cause of action. Recently, the' New York Supreme Court Appellate Division held that an airline’s breach of a Federal Aviation Administration regulation that forbids service of alcoholic beverages to intoxicated aircraft passengers gives rise to a cause of action against the airline for an assault committed by an intoxicated passenger. Manfredonia v. American Airlines, Inc., 47 U.S.L.W. 2745 (May 29, 1979). If a cause of action may be grounded upon a regulation, certainly breach of the criminal statutes is a proper basis for a common law cause of action.
I do not accept the view that the legislature had preempted the field. In Garcia I, this court made clear that its decision was not motivated by considerations of legislative pre-emption. Rather, the Garcia decision was based strictly on the court’s view of public policy.
We should not hesitate to depart from stare decisis when the facts warrant a change in the law.
The facts in the case before us present an appropriate framework to correct the mistake of Garcia 1. I would do so.

 Pike v. George, 434 S.W.2d 626 (Ky. 1968); Berkeley v. Park, 47 Misc.2d 381, 262 N.Y.S.2d 290 (1965) ; Trail v. Christian, 298 Minn. 101, 213 N.W.2d 618 (1973); Mason v. Roberts, 33 Ohio St. 2d 29, 294 N.E.2d 884 (1973); Vesely v. Sager, 5 Cal.3d 153, 486 P.2d 151, 95 Cal. Rptr. 623 (1971) ; Adamian v. Three Sons, Inc., 353 Mass. 498, 233 N.E.2d 18 (1968) ; Elder v. Fisher, 247 Ind. 598, 217 N.E.2d 847 (1966); Pence v. Ketchum, 326 So.2d 831 (La. 1976); Kerby v. Flamingo Club, Inc., 35 Colo. App. 127, 532 P.2d 975 (1974); Davis v. Shiappacossee, 155 So.2d 365 (Fla. 1963); Colligan v. Cousar, 38 Ill. App.2d 392, 187 N.E.2d 292 (1963) ; Thaut v. Finley, 50 Mich. App. 611, 213 N.W.2d 820, (1973); Ramsey v. Anctil, 106 N.H. 375, 211 A.2d 900 (1965); Majors v. Brodhead Hotel, 416 Pa. 265, 205 A.2d 873 (1965); *495Mitchell v. Ketner, 54 Tenn. App. 656, 393 S.W.2d 755 (1964). See also, Waynick v. Chicago’s Last Department Store, 269 F.2d 322 (7th Cir. 1959); Marusa v. District of Columbia, 484 F.2d 828 (D.C. Cir. 1973); Vance v. United States, 355 F. Supp. 756 (D. Alaska 1973).

 Sec. 66.054(9) (c), Stats. (1975) provides that:
“Licenses for fermented malt beverages. ... (9) Conditions op LICENSES. ... (c) No fermented malt beverages shall be sold to any person who is intoxicated.” .
Violation of sec. 66.054, Stats., is made a misdemeanor by sec. 66.-054(15), Stats. (1975) which provides in part as follows:
“Licenses for fermented malt beverages. ... (15) Penalties. (a) Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term of not more than 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and his license shall be subject to revocation by a court of record in its discretion. . . .”
Sec. 176.30(1), Stats. (1975) provides:
“176.30. Minors; intoxicated persons; hospitals. (1) Sale to minor OR INTOXICATED person; penalty. Any keeper of any place of any name whatsoever for the sale of any intoxicating liquors who shall sell, vend or in any way deal or traffic in, or for the purpose of evading any law of this state relating to the sale of liquors, give away any such liquors in any quantity whatsoever to or with a minor, or to any person, intoxicated or bordering on *499a state of intoxication, and any person whatever who shall procure for, or sell, or give away, to any minor, whether upon the written order of the parents or guardian of such minor or in any other manner whatsoever, or to any intoxicated person, any such liquors shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500, or by imprisonment in the county jail or house of correction not to exceed 60 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. . . .”