Ryan Dahlstrom: Dram Shop & Liquor Liability Expert Witness

Ryan Dahlstrom provides expert witness services for a wide range of cases involving licensed premises and hospitality operations, including: dram shop liability (overservice of alcohol leading to injury or death), liquor liability (negligent alcohol service), premises liability (dangerous conditions on licensed premises), negligent security (inadequate security staffing, policies, or response), slip, trip and fall accidents in bars, restaurants, and hospitality venues, live music venue accidents and crowd management failures, restaurant operations negligence, casino and resort hospitality liability, and social host liability. He reviews cases involving bars, pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, casinos, resorts, sports arenas, concert venues, live music venues, hotels, cruise ships, and parking facilities.

In a dram shop case, Ryan Dahlstrom's standard of care review involves a comprehensive analysis of whether the licensed establishment met the industry standard of care in its alcohol service practices. This includes reviewing point-of-sale (POS) records to assess the volume and timing of alcohol service, analyzing surveillance footage to identify visible signs of intoxication, reviewing staff training records and responsible beverage service policies, examining incident reports and management logs, assessing the adequacy of the establishment's service policies and staff supervision, and correlating the toxicologist's BAC findings with the operational evidence to evaluate the timeline of service. The resulting expert report maps each finding to applicable state statutes, industry standards, and case precedent.

In negligent security cases involving bars, nightclubs, or entertainment venues, Ryan Dahlstrom evaluates whether the establishment's security program met the applicable standard of care. This includes assessing the adequacy of security staffing levels for the venue size and patron volume, reviewing security staff training and use-of-force policies, analyzing incident history and management's awareness of prior similar events, evaluating the physical security infrastructure (lighting, cameras, access control), reviewing the venue's response to the specific incident at issue, and comparing the establishment's practices against industry standards for similar venues. His ASIS certification provides a recognized framework for evaluating security management practices in commercial hospitality environments.

Yes. While Ryan Dahlstrom does not perform toxicological analysis or reconstruct BAC levels — that is the domain of a forensic toxicologist — he is qualified to review and correlate the toxicologist's findings with the operational evidence from the establishment. This includes cross-referencing the toxicologist's BAC conclusions with POS records, pour counts, surveillance footage, staff testimony, and service logs to assess whether the establishment's service pattern was consistent with the patron's reported intoxication level. This operational correlation is a critical component of dram shop litigation, bridging the gap between the toxicological science and the hospitality operations evidence.

The process for retaining Ryan Dahlstrom begins with a confidential initial consultation — either by phone at (702) 696-8745 or by email at [email protected]. During this consultation, Ryan will review the basic facts of the case, identify the key liability issues, and assess whether his expertise is the right fit. If retained, he will conduct a comprehensive review of all relevant case materials, including POS records, surveillance footage, incident reports, staff depositions, training records, and any expert reports already produced. He then prepares a detailed written expert report suitable for disclosure, and is available for deposition and trial testimony. Ryan is available for cases in all 50 states.

Ryan Dahlstrom responds to all initial inquiries within 24 hours. Turnaround time for a full case review and expert report depends on the complexity of the case and the volume of materials to be reviewed, but he is experienced in working within the time constraints of active litigation. Attorneys with urgent deadlines — including cases approaching trial or deposition — are encouraged to contact Ryan directly by phone at (702) 696-8745 to discuss expedited review options.

Yes. Ryan Dahlstrom provides expert witness services nationwide, covering all 50 states. He is experienced with the variation in state dram shop statutes, liquor liability laws, and responsible beverage service requirements across different jurisdictions. His operational expertise in hospitality management is not state-specific — the industry standards for alcohol service, premises security, and staff training apply broadly across the United States, with state-specific statutory nuances addressed in his expert reports and testimony.

To conduct a thorough case review, Ryan Dahlstrom typically requests: the complaint and any operative pleadings, available POS or register records from the establishment, surveillance footage from the night in question, incident reports and police reports, staff depositions or witness statements, the establishment's training records and responsible beverage service policies, any toxicologist or medical expert reports already produced, and any prior expert reports from opposing counsel. The more complete the materials provided, the more thorough and defensible the resulting expert report. Ryan will work with whatever materials are available and can identify evidentiary gaps that may warrant additional discovery.

Ryan Dahlstrom has direct operational experience with a broad range of licensed hospitality venues, including bars and pubs, nightclubs and lounges, restaurants, casinos and resort properties, hotels, live music venues and concert halls, sports arenas and stadiums, cruise ship hospitality operations, gentlemen's clubs, and large-scale special event venues. This venue-specific operational knowledge is critical in expert witness work — the standard of care for a high-volume nightclub differs significantly from that of a casual dining restaurant or a casino floor, and Ryan's experience across all of these environments allows him to apply the correct industry benchmark to each case.

Dram shop and liquor liability cases require a specialized understanding of both the legal framework governing alcohol service and the operational realities of running a licensed establishment. Unlike general premises liability cases, dram shop matters turn on highly specific factual questions: Was the patron visibly intoxicated at the time of service? Did the staff have the training and policies to recognize and respond to intoxication? Did the establishment's service practices comply with state law and industry standards? These questions require an expert who understands not just the law, but how bars and restaurants actually operate — how staff are trained, how service decisions are made in real time, and what the industry standard of care requires. Ryan Dahlstrom's 35+ years of operational experience provides exactly that foundation.