Is there insurance for parties?
One of the best parts of the holiday season is the house parties. Liquor is a big part of the celebration. Be it the traditional Christmas Eve bash or the Boxing Day come and go the first thing you will be asked is, "what will you have to drink?". Rich food, good friends, lots of good booze and everyone is sure to have a good time.
One of the spin-offs of the depressed economy is that more people will be attending house parties this year instead of going out and spending their money at hotels and restaurants. This isn't just over the holidays but part of the cost cutting we have all had to do. Whether it is a group coming over to play cards and having a few drinks or a more elaborate occasion, you need to be thinking about how to handle the consequences of serving alcohol.
The biggest concern for being sued is the focus on impaired driving. Your buddy has a few too many and then drives home. On the way he gets into an accident and someone has been hurt. You know the police are going to be all over him like "white on rice" and there will be no tolerance for his actions.
Buddy has insurance on his car. This shouldn't affect me! When Buddy drove his car while impaired he has committed a criminal offense. The liability will be reduced to the absolute minimum, $200,000 and that is all that will be available for his injury to persons or their property. Where will the rest of the money come from? That's right, you! You can be sued in civil court under the Dramshop Law.
Yes you can buy party alcohol liability insurance but do you want to do this every time you host a party? You certainly might for the large events such as a wedding, ball tournament or company Christmas party but not every time you have a group of friends over for the evening.
Even if your friend has only had a couple of drinks at your house when he goes on from there to the next house party he could have more drinks. You can be held responsible for your share of the liquor he consumed. Do you want to lose your home and all you have worked for because of his actions? Be aware that this is a judgment call - did you contribute to your guest's drunken condition? Is there evidence that you did all that was reasonable to prevent the situation from occurring?
What can you do to prevent your friends from getting behind the wheel and driving home drunk from your party? Try some of the following steps:
Plan ahead
As they say in the army, proper planning prevents pi** poor performance! Think about your guest list. Is there anyone on that list that has a problem with controlling his alcohol consumption? Perhaps you can assign a trusted person to make sure that this particular guest has transportation home and watches over him for misbehaviours.
If your are planning a larger event such as a New Year's Eve party then you might consider hiring some trained servers. Considering that it is a larger occasion now you do need to do more planning then a small drop-in house party.
Think about the activities that you are planning for this event. A scavenger hunt that could involve driving about in vehicles should not start out with a round of drinks. If you were including snowmobiling, hiking, skiing or some other outdoor sport in your activities then holding off on the liquor could be a wise move. You do not want someone getting lost in the great outdoors.
Think about your decor. Make sure that areas are well lit and railings are solid. When a person has had a bit to drink, it is easy to stumble or lose balance and this can result in a fall.
How are you going to get your guests home safely? Operation Red Nose operates in quite a few cities. Designated drivers and overnight accommodation are all possibilities.
Serving the liquor
What are you doing at this party? If drinking is the focus then you need to distract people. No "chugging" competitions and no "slamming" of the shots.
Have some tasty food available. If people are eating then they absorb alcohol more slowly. Have a variety of foods available and make sure that everyone has ample opportunity to stop and eat.
Be sure to serve the drinks rather then offer a self-service bar. You have no control of how heavily the liquor is being poured at a self-service bar. An old bartender's trick is to mix a "special drink" for the near-intoxicated guest. The liquor is just a whisper but the combination of mixes makes it appear to be much stronger then usual. This avoids confrontation and allows this guest to sober up as the party continues.
If you offer your guests non-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks you might be surprised as to how many will jump on this. It is not uncommon for a guest to have one drink with full alcohol content and then switch to a "virgin" version of the same drink for the balance of the evening.
Do not encourage over indulgence by offering extra-strength beer, double shots or extra-strong mixed drinks.
Cut off the booze before you expect the party to break up. Start serving the coffee and a hearty late night snack.
This party is a night for your friends and family. Give them the gift of staying sober so you can watch over the evening and be on top of any potential problems. Consider putting on a good party as almost being like an unpaid job. Do it well.
Pay attention to your guests’ behaviour and appearance. Have a few ideas in mind as how to address a situation with a guest who has over indulged.
Stop serving alcohol to a guest who is already intoxicated. If a person is obviously drunk and you keep serving that person alcohol then if something goes wrong you have little defense in a lawsuit. A reasonable person would not continue serving that intoxicated person liquor. Be aware that a person could be well on their way to being drunk and not show any outward signs of that condition. You need to keep track of what people are doing.
We've all been at the party when someone who has had too much to drink is doing something potentially dangerous to themselves or others. If this happens then you have to do what is necessary to protect them and others from their actions. This is where it can get difficult. You need to be careful about getting physical but simply saying "don't" may not protect you in a lawsuit. This is a fine line that you must be careful about crossing. Think ahead about how you might handle such a situation. Humour will often work well.
A guest does not have to be driving to suffer injury or to cause injury to others. You need to be vigilant. Keep an eye on what is going on and steer the situation to a safer area or situation as necessary.
Have some accommodation for an unexpected overnight guest. There are some very inexpensive portable beds that can be quickly assembled for the friend who really shouldn't be traveling that night.
If necessary you may have to really insist that a person not drive that night. A friend does not let a friend drive drunk. It is a danger to society, to your friend and to yourself. Do not let someone drink and drive.
