$866,000 Verdict: Assault at Bar, Dram Shop Act

$866,000 verdict for a man whose jaw was broken and wired shut after he was assaulted by a drunk customer at a Brooklyn bar. The bar was sued under the Dram Shop Act, a state law which holds that any tavern owner serving alcohol to intoxicated patrons, and which results in a charge of negligent conduct against the party served, can be held liable. Part of the verdict against the individual assailant, an advertising executive, was for $500,000 in punitive damages.