Social Host Liability
Parties, barbecues, and other social events can be an entertaining way to spend time with friends and family members. People may choose to host an event at their homes and bring everyone together for relaxation and socialization. Alcohol may be served at such functions, and as long as everyone consumes it responsibly, the event can usually be considered a success.
Unfortunately, persons may suffer serious injuries if they are involved in an accident following a party or barbecue, especially if they are intoxicated and attempt to drive themselves home. In some cases, the social host may be held responsible for injuries and damages caused by a drunk driver, especially if he or she over-serves guests at the function or fails to prevent intoxicated individuals from driving. Persons who host parties and gatherings at their homes should make sure to protect guests at their home from injuries and accidents. This also applies to keeping guests safe from danger when they consume alcohol on the host’s property.
If you plan on serving alcohol at a social function, it is important to consider the safety of your friends and family. If a guest consumes multiple drinks in one sitting over a short period of time, he or she may become seriously intoxicated. Social hosts should be aware of how much alcohol their guests have been consuming and should make sure to prevent any intoxicated individual from attempting to operate a motor vehicle.
Some hosts may prevent drunk driving by setting limits on how many drinks a guest may consume at their home. Others may permit their guests to drink as much as they like, but will make sure to take their car keys away or set up alternative methods of transportation home. Having designated drivers at the function or calling taxicabs for inebriated guests is usually a wise decision for making sure your guests get home safely.
It is also important for hosts to make sure that they do not provide alcohol to minors. If an intoxicated minor is involved in an accident, the person who served alcohol to the minors involved may be held liable for injuries and damages they may have caused.