As the holiday season approaches, preparations will be made for the usual tradition of gathering with close friends and family. Potential hosts will be diligently trying to plan a great cocktail party, one that will impress their visitors. So, along with a great menu and complementary cocktails, these hosts should consider making careful plans to deal with the risks of a guest or two having “too much fun”. In most cases, the hosts will not be playing bartender during that particular evening, making them oblivious to how much alcohol that would be served to each of the guests. However, if guidelines are expressed ahead of time it could offset some of those risks. So, here are some simple precautions that can help.
- If there are designated cocktail servers, make it clear ahead of time that they are to immediately stop serving anyone who displays any sign of intoxication.
- As the guests arrive, prearrange a designated driver and give the keys to that person.
- Make sure there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages available.
- Make sure the cocktails are not made with high amounts of alcohol.
- Incorporate in the menu some high protein, high carbohydrate foods. They are helpful to
absorb alcohol better than sugary foods. - Stop serving alcohol at least 3 hours before the party is scheduled to end.
- Make a point of seeing each of your guests from your home and monitor their appearance carefully. If there is any concern, do not hesitate to offer to call a cab or to arrange for a designated driver.
It’s always gratifying to be a good host, but it’s even more gratifying to be a smart one. Take the time to plan all the necessary details that will make a holiday gathering a safe and joyous success.
In most states, if a guest leaves a home that has been serving alcohol and gets involved in an accident, the homeowner may be liable if any injuries suffered by passengers of both cars or the driver of the other vehicle. Your home insurance policy** could come to the rescue in the event that you are sued.
** Please note : You will need to review your homeowners policy with your insurance representative to make sure you have the proper coverage for host liquor liability.
Here at Donald J. Medeiros Insurance Agency our goal is to try to help our viewers by outlining potential exposures and suggest solutions for all insurance needs. By no means we can address a viewers’ specific insurance policy in every incident. So, we strongly advise to check with an insurance agent to ask about it’s specific coverages.
Come visit us at www.donmedeirosinsurance.com or give us a call at 508-678-1271. We look forward to hearing from you! If you have a Facebook account, fan us at http://www.facebook.com/donmedeiros.