In his own words, Attorney Keith Purdue talks about his personal loss and why he is passionate about Dram Shop lawsuits.

I'm privileged to be a part of Grossman Law Offices, and our law firm has filed numerous lawsuits on behalf of those injured or wrongly killed by drunk drivers, which I passionately feel is ultimately attributable to bars who break the rules of alcohol service they agree to abide by when they are licensed. While I have always felt honored to represent victims in these terrible tragedies, I never thought I would be one.

That all changed two years ago when my own father was killed by a drunk driver.

My dad, who was an Army veteran and one of the most highly regarded emergency room doctors in the state, was called into work early on a Sunday morning. As he was on his way to the hospital, a drunk driver ran through a stop sign, t-boning my father. He was transported to the very same emergency room where he had worked to save hundreds of lives over the years. Despite the valiant efforts of my father's own colleagues, there was nothing that could be done to save him. We later found out the bar the driver had been drinking at stayed open several hours past its legally required closing time. Furthermore, they served him copious amounts of alcohol. The bar should have been closed by the time of the accident. If it had been closed, my father might still be with us today. It all seemed so senseless.

I'm sure many of my friends and family wondered how I'd be able to do my job--suing drunk drivers and negligent bars--after going through the loss of my dad. Instead of debilitating me, it has motivated me. Every time I meet with a new victim or their family, I think of my dad and it makes me want to fight even harder for them, in their own difficult time. I know what victims are going through, and I am always ready to fight for them.

I'm available any time you need to talk about your drunk driving case. Feel free to call.

-- Keith Purdue