Lawsuit Reveals Major Oil Company Failed to Discourage Underage Alcohol Sales at Local Convenience Stores
The Cochran Firm, with office locations nationwide
Tuesday June 17, 11:58 am ET
Civil Lawsuit Filed in Drunk Driving Accident that Killed Guillermo Alvarez Jr.
MIAMI, June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- A civil lawsuit filed by attorneys with The Cochran Firm, as one of the premier plaintiffs' litigation and criminal defense law firms in the United States, on behalf of the family of Guillermo M. Alvarez Jr., a Miami teenager killed in a 2005 drunk driving accident, exposes that an alarming number of convenience store clerks are not receiving proper training and monitoring from a major oil company regarding procedures to prevent alcohol sales to minors.
"It's a shame that a big name oil company is turning a blind eye to this nationwide epidemic by putting profits over the safety of our children and families," said Scott W. Leeds with The Cochran Firm. "Convenience stores are one of the leading sources of alcohol and tobacco sales to minors in the nation. How many more families need to lose their children in horrific accidents before these multinational corporations take their responsibility seriously."
In August 2005, 17-year-old Alvarez's friend Anthony Diaz bought a 12-pack of beer at a BP station, located at 8501 SW 132nd Street, which had a communitywide reputation among minors as a place to buy alcohol. Diaz, who also was 17-years-old at the time, said the BP clerk did not ask to see his driver's license. Later that night, Diaz lost control of the car that crashed into a gate and two trees. Both teens were ejected and Alvarez was killed.
The lawsuit seeks punitive damages against BP Products North America (NYSE: BP - News) and Jose Cabrera, the dealer owner of The Falls Amoco.
The suit claims that BP set up four tiers of service stations: Company Owned/Company Operated (COCO); Company Owned/Dealer Operated (CODO); Dealer Owned/Franchised Operated (DOFO); and Dealer Owned/Dealer Operated (DODO).
"Although these retail stores are designed to look identical, each operates under completely different sets of procedures for underage alcohol sales," said Leeds.
"At the COCO stations, BP provides comprehensive and ongoing training, guidelines, procedures, and manuals to the managers as to how they should train their employees. There are refresher courses and mystery shopping programs," said Leeds. "However, at the CODO store like The Falls Amoco, they did absolutely nothing. BP has shown gross negligence by failing to monitor, discipline or discharge employees who broke the law and was indifferent to the fact that recurring and persistent sales of alcohol to minors were occurring at this location."
The next hearing in the case (#05-19587 CA 2) is set for June 18 at 3:30 p.m. before Judge Ronald Freidman in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.
The Cochran Firm, founded by famed litigator Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., is one of America's largest personal injury plaintiffs tort law firm with more than 125 civil attorneys in 19 offices in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, , Missouri, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. Last year, The Cochran Firm held the exclusive position of appearing on two of the nation's most prestigious legal listings: The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List," a compendium of the country's top plaintiffs' law firms shaping the law in America, and "The NLJ 250" list, The National Law Journal's survey of the largest law firms in America.
