Court Opinion

ID: 9791705
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:16:34.692764+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:38.105655
License: Public Domain

McALLISTER, J.,
concurring in part; dissenting in part.
The majority, having adopted the rule that one who negligently furnishes alcohol to others may be liable for the consequences, then limits the scope of that liability by drawing a line which, in my opinion, is arbitrary and untenable.
I agree that the complaint states a cause of action against the fraternity. It alleges that the fraternity furnished alcohol to Blair, knowing that he was a minor and that he would be driving after the party. Proof of these allegations would justify a jury in finding that the fraternity, through its agents, acted unreasonably when it permitted Blair to drink. The allegations as to the other defendants, in my view, can not be distinguished on any logical basis. The complaint alleges that they knew that minors would be attending the party and would be allowed to drink, and that some of them would be driving back to Eugene. *645Knowing this, Kienow furnished the alcohol which was served to Blair, and the owners and operators of the Ranch furnished the premises where it was served. If the fraternity could foresee the danger created by its activities, so could the other defendants. Their actions, as much as those of the fraternity’s other agents, contributed to plaintiff’s injuries.
The majority does not hold that the allegations do not charge unreasonable behavior on the part of all defendants. Rather, it holds that the well-established rules of negligence will simply not be applied in this situation except to a defendant who has directly served alcohol to a particular minor. I cannot agree with this approach. We have held that, even in the absence of concerted action, two or more persons whose negligence combines to produce a single injury are joint tortfeasors, and any or all may be held liable by the injured party. See Hills v. McGillvrey, 240 Or 476, 483, 402 P2d 722 (1965) and cases there cited; Murray v. Helfrich, 146 Or 602, 605-607, 30 P2d 1053 (1934). In my opinion, plaintiff has adequately charged negligence on the part of Kienow and of the owners and operators of the Ranch which combined with the negligence of the fraternity’s agents at the party to cause plaintiff’s injuries. Their demurrers ought to have been overruled.