Planning An Event? Here Are Eight Ways You Can Reduce Host Liquor Liability Insurance Claims

It’s already stressful enough planning an event that will go smoothly. However, it is your responsibility to keep the alcohol consumption to a minimum. More and more hosts are being held accountable for the actions of their event attendees after they leave the party. Car accidents, bodily injuries, and immense property damage are just a few of the risks party hosts face due to the intoxication of their guests. Here are eight ways you can reduce host liquor liability insurance claims at your next event.

EIGHT WAYS YOU CAN REDUCE HOST LIQUOR LIABILITY INSURANCE CLAIMS

1. Use Narrow Wine Glasses

Don’t knock narrow wine glasses until you try them! Narrow wine glasses are designed to give your guests a smaller serving of alcohol. Better yet, the illusion of a fuller glass of alcohol encourages guests to drink slowly and savor it.

2. Always Serve Food And Non-Alcoholic Drinks

The key is to keep alcohol consumption to a minimum among your guests. You should avoid serving salty food, such as chips and pretzels because your guests will get thirsty and drink more. Another way to keep the alcoholic consumption low is by offering non-alcoholic options, such as sparkling water, fountain drinks, and juice.

3. Set Up Friendly Reminders

Table tents or tripod banners are economical and are great tools to display information for your guests. You can use these event assets to remind guests to drink responsibly. Furthermore, you can even provide a list of transportation services, such as Uber, Lyft, and your local taxi service. The last thing you want your guests to do is to drink and drive.

4. Hire Professionals

When you hire professional caterers and bartenders, you can have the peace of mind knowing that food and drinks are professionally served to your guests. We recommend requiring your contracted bartenders and caterers to provide liquor liability insurance during the event and to list you as an additional insured. This protects you from their negligence. Since you could still be named in a lawsuit, carrying host liquor insurance is crucial to managing your risk. Our trusted partner, Food Liability Insurance Program (FLIP) offers liquor liability insurance for bartenders and caterers. Click here for more information.

5. Don’t Announce Last Call

It is a common business technique for bars to announce last call and drum up extra alcohol sales before the end of the night. However, you don’t want to encourage extra alcohol intake for your guests towards the end of your event. Keep in mind that guests may need to drive home after! We recommend storing away the leftover alcohol and serving non-alcoholic drinks instead.

6. Set Up A Parking Plan

Your guests will drink alcohol at your event. However, you can stay on the safe side by providing valet parking at the event. This will reduce the potential for property damage due to collisions and prevent unnecessary roadblocks from occurring near your property.

7. Clear The Paths

Whether your event takes place in the evening or during the daytime, it is important to make sure all pathways are clear for your guests. It is highly recommended that you install extra lighting for evening events and make sure there is someone to carefully monitor the pathways and clear any tripping hazards.

8. Carefully Pick Out Your Party Decor

Candles add a relaxed ambiance to any setting, but a guest can accidentally knock a candlestick over and cause a fire. What if an article of clothing your guest is wearing catches on fire and they put the blame on you? Other than footing the bill for medical expenses, you may have a lawsuit in your hands.

BONUS!

9. Be Responsible With Host Liquor Liability Insurance

Host liquor liability insurance is for people who host a party and serve alcohol to guests. If a guest injures themselves at the party or causes a car accident after drinking alcohol that you provided, you could be found at fault due to your service. You could be held responsible for paying for medical, legal, and other damages. It’s easy to cover your next event!

1. Fill Out The Application Here
2. Get Instant Proof of Insurance

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes accounted for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths,” If your guest does cause an accident and injures or kills bystanders, you may be on the hook for paying the bills. Even worse, could you fathom paying hundreds or thousands of dollars in legal costs if you end up in court? You don’t want to risk being without host liquor liability insurance. You can have peace of mind and rest easy knowing you are in good hands.