As summer moves on, you may be tempted to throw a party. Many people do so without thinking much about whether or not that party is opening them up to a potential personal injury lawsuit. At The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker, we suggest you read on to learn what legal repercussions you may be opening yourself up to before you throw that party. On the other hand, if you suffer a slip and fall accident or other type of injury at another person’s party, call us at 800-333-0000 to find out if you have grounds for a personal injury case.
You could be held accountable for underage drinkers
In the state of California, if you hold a party you could end up liable for the actions that underage drinkers take, if they harm others. The Supreme Court of California has ruled that even a host who is underage themselves can be responsible if they serve alcohol to other teens and those teens go on to harm someone. However, teens are generally only held responsible for other teens when they charge party guests to come in and drink and those party guests are under the age of 21.
Generally speaking you cannot be held liable if someone drinks and drives after your party
In most cases, California law does not include liability for a person who throws a party, another person drivers drunk, and that drunk person causes an injury. That said, there is one big exception. In 2011 the law was updated to say that if a person knowingly provides alcohol to a minor who then is involved in a car accident that injures a person, then the person who provided the alcohol can be held accountable.
In fact, it can be even more serious than that: If you hold a party, provide alcohol to a minor, and that minor drinks and drives and injuries someone, then you can be the focus of a personal injury claim but you may also face criminal charges.
Be a responsible host and avoid these issues
The easiest way to avoid this from happening to you is to be responsible when you host others. You are not legally responsible for every guests’ actions but you also do not want to be the cause of someone being injured or even killed. Have a place for people to sleep if they drink too much. Do not serve alcohol to a minor. Never charge for alcohol, as you are then subject to “dram laws” which can complicate the situation.
If you are on the other side of this and have been injured as a result of a minor leaving a party, then The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker is here to help you. Reach out to our offices at 800-333-0000 to find out if you may have a personal injury option.
