Under Illinois law, adults who willfully provide alcohol to persons under 18 years of age are civilly liable for death or injuries caused by a minor’s intoxication. If a child was killed in a car crash because he was intoxicated, the adults who served the child would still be liable if a wrongful death lawsuit was filed.
Of course criminal repercussions accompany this conduct too, illustrated by the recent jury verdict in Lake County finding a Deerfield couple guilty of allowing underage drinking in their basement last October where two of the guests were killed in a car accident after leaving the couple’s home.
Yesterday, two Cook county parents were cited for permitting a minor to become intoxicated. The parents would have also been responsible for any death or injury that came as a result of their serving these minor’s alcohol.