Even if there is no way to pursue recovery against the drunk driver, there may be a way to pursue recovery against the person who provided the alcoholic beverage to the drunk driver. People who serve alcoholic beverages may be liable under North Carolina law for damages resulting from the consumption of alcoholic beverages. N.C.G.S. § 18B-121. Liability may be imposed either under specific state laws ("dram shop acts") or under the general law of negligence.

Dram shop acts ("dram" was once a common term for "liquor") are laws that impose liability for negligence on the sellers of alcoholic beverages for sales to persons under the legal drinking age or to those who are obviously intoxicated. N.C.G.S. § 18B-305. A liquor store, bar or restaurant may be responsible for any damages caused by a person's drinking if it sold alcohol to an underage person or to a person who was obviously intoxicated. N.C.G.S. § 18B-121.

Liability can attach to "social hosts" as well. A social host is an individual who serves alcoholic beverages in a social setting, such as a home or a party, or as where an employer serves alcoholic beverages at a company. The social host is not required to make sure that no one is consuming more alcohol than they can handle unless the host can reasonably be aware of a problem and prevent it. In North Carolina, the social host is under a duty to the people who drive on public highways to not serve alcohol to an intoxicated person who was known to be driving. Hart v. Ivey, 332 N.C. 299, 420 S.E.2d 124 (1992).