The holiday season is right around the corner and people everywhere are nailing down the details of their long-awaited holiday parties with co-workers, friends, and family. Food? Check. Music? Check. Alcohol? Check.
What Is Host Liquor Liability Insurance?
Host liquor liability insurance is a type of coverage designed for people who host a party and serve alcohol to guests.
For example, if a guest injures themselves at a party after drinking alcohol that you provided, you could be found at fault due to your service of alcohol.
Furthermore, if a guest drinks alcohol you provided and causes a car wreck while driving, you could be held responsible for paying for medical, legal, and other damages.
Do I Still Need Host Liquor Liability Insurance If I Hire Bartenders and Caterers?
Yes, it is highly recommended to purchase a host liquor liability policy if you are hosting the party or event. If a guest causes harm while intoxicated, you can be held liable for their actions.
As a further precaution, you should also require your bartenders and caterers to be covered by liquor liability insurance during your event and to name you as an additional insured. When the bartender or caterer adds you as an additional insured, it protects you from their negligence.
Since you could still be named in a lawsuit, carrying host liquor insurance is also crucial to managing your risk.
Other Than Holiday Parties, Does Host Liquor Liability Insurance Cover Other Events?
Yes. We offer host liquor insurance coverage for all types of events, such as anniversary parties, bridal showers, retirement parties, corporate parties and more! If you don’t see your type of event, please contact us.
Your Next Holiday Party Needs Host Liquor Liability Insurance
Many people spend countless hours planning all the details for the perfect holiday party. However, many party hosts fail to realize that they need host liquor liability insurance and believe their guests either know their alcohol limits or won’t be the cause of a mishap.
If you are a business that does not serve, sell, or manufacture alcohol as part of your business but you allow it to be consumed at a work-sponsored event, you need to protect your company from liquor-related lawsuits with host liquor liability insurance.
According to a Forbes survey, 20% of survey respondents have self-reported that they had too much to drink at a holiday party. During the holiday season, we see news reports of people getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol and causing accidents, often after binge-drinking at a party where alcohol was served.
In fact, between 2010 and 2014, the average death toll on January 1st was 118.2. During most holiday seasons, an average of nearly 1,200 deaths are found to be alcohol-related, with 52% of fatal collisions happening on Christmas and 57% on New Years. The CDC estimates that more than 25,000 people will be injured.
These sobering statistics don’t reflect the number of people actually impacted. Many people believe that the drinker who caused the damage would be the sole person responsible for any damages caused, but many state liquor liability laws contradict that belief.
In many cases, lawyers will go after a list of people, including the party or event hosts who either overserved the alcohol or did not provide adequate oversight of their inebriated guests.
Unfortunately, hosts could be held liable for property damage or bodily injury that is caused by their guests. If you find yourself in this predicament, host liquor liability insurance may cover those expensive legal fees and medical bills.
