If you’re serving alcohol at your Super Bowl party and one of your guests end up involved in an accident, you could be held responsible. Many homeowners fail to realize that they can be found legally liable if an intoxicated guest leaves their home and has an auto accident and a third party involved is injured, the party host can be sued, particularly if the drunk driver has little or no insurance.
In preparation for your party, take the time and effort to limit your risks and here’s how.
- Check how much coverage your homeowners’ policy has and if it includes for liability risks, including those for property damage, injuries and alcohol-related risks.
- Understand what you could be liable for under your state’s laws for serving alcohol. In Massachusetts & Rhode Island, party hosts may be liable for injuries caused by an intoxicated guest especially when alcohol was served to the guest that the host either knew or should have known he/she was intoxicated.
- Prepare your bartender. Make them aware to spot impending drunkenness and to immediately stop serving that guest.
- Don’t get drunk yourself. You need to be aware of your guests’ behavior and drunkenness therefore you cannot be impaired yourself in order to do this.
- Serve non-alcoholic beverages and food. Offer your guests virgin frozen concoctions and punches for it may help counter the effects of the booze they are drinking. Also, have plenty carbohydrate snacks available such as crackers and breads for these can slow down the alcohol absorption.
- Don’t allow drinking games. For starters, don’t have a keg and do not allow shot games. If a group begins to formulate one, put an end to it.
- Cut off the serving of alcohol two hours before the end of the game or end of the party. Switch to coffee, tea and soft drinks. Serve desserts along with the coffee for the added carbs will help the slow the effects of the alcohol consumed.
- Ask guests to pick a designated driver who won’t drink and remind them to wear seat belts when they leave.
- Call cabs, arrange rides or allow people to sleepover if someone doesn’t seem fit to drive. It would be wise to collect car keys ahead of time, but this isn’t always easy to do. So, at the very least, escort each of your guests out as they leave so you can monitor who is fit to drive or not.
Have a safe & enjoyable Super Bowl! Go Pats!!!
Here at Donald J. Medeiros Insurance Agency our goal is to try to help our viewers by suggesting solutions for all insurance needs. By no means can we address each reader’s specific concerns in every incident. So, we strongly advise to check with an insurance representative to address your specific needs. However, you can also contact us for any questions or concerns and we will be happy to help you. We can offer coverage for both Massachusetts and Rhode Island communities.
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