With the end of one year and the beginning of another, holiday parties can be a wonderful time for family, friends and co-workers to celebrate. If you’re hosting a party though, you should keep in mind that you have a huge responsibility to make sure your guests are safe – especially if alcohol is served.
In this issue, we’ll talk about social host liability, and what could cause you – as party host – to be held liable for injuries caused by an intoxicated guest.
What is a social host?
Legally speaking, a social host is anyone who hosts a social gathering or party for just about any occasion, from a friendly dinner to end-of the-year business celebration.
Social host liability refers to the responsibilities – physical and financial – faced by the host if an intoxicated guest harms someone else.
What does Alaska law say about social host liability?
Unlike dram laws, which we wrote about earlier, the only way for a social host to be held (at least) partially responsible for injuries caused by an intoxicated guest is if the guest is under 21 years of age.
In other words, Alaska law says if you provide alcohol to a minor at your gathering, you could face civil damages for personal injury, death or injury to the property of a person if its deemed that the booze substantially contributed to the damages.
Tips for making your party safer for your guests
- To avoid guesswork, don’t serve alcohol to minors
- Put in place a designated driver program for your party
- Hire a babysitter so that children will be supervised or plan an activity for older children away from your party
- If a guest appears intoxicated, call a cab, Uber or Lyft driver
- Make sure you stay sober so that you’re in a better position to monitor your guests
If you’re injured by someone else, call Barber & Associates
We hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season. If, however, you are injured by someone else, call Barber & Associates so that we can fight for your rights.
The first consultation is always free, so call us at (907) 276-5858 or you can reach us by email.