For businesses that serve alcohol, it’s extremely important to get additional insurance protection in regard to alcohol consumption. This time of year, businesses are amping up for all the upcoming festivities that will involve booze. It’s critical for businesses such as restaurants, bars, breweries, and any other service providing alcohol to have this added protection. Between holiday parties and corporate events, the winter months are packed with celebrations. Liquor liability insurance can protect you from a variety of issues.
If you’re a restaurant or bar, you likely have numerous patrons every day. These patrons are outside your control and it’s impossible to know how they’re going to handle alcohol. Sometimes inebriated patrons can accidentally break something on your property, which could be costly if you’re not covered. Also, if someone gets in their car intoxicated or buzzed thinking they can drive home, you don’t want your restaurant or bar to be liable for costs from a potential accident. Having coverage for property damage, onsite and offsite, when you’re serving alcohol is a must.
We’ve all been to that party that got a little out of hand. If that party is taking place at your restaurant or bar, liquor liability insurance can help cover costs from accidents or injuries in case the party gets a bit too rowdy. (If you’re personally hosting a special event like a wedding or a holiday party for your employees, check out our blog on specific event insurance.) Most accidents we see in this category are from slips or falls, but you can also be covered in the event of a physical altercation. Of course, you never want this to happen at your business, but injuries or accidents from fights or assaults do occur, and it’s a riskier problem when alcohol is involved. Your staff may be ready to handle dangerous situations and know the warning signs, but some things will always slip through the cracks.
It’s possible to have an employee drink on the job, even if you have stated your company policy very clearly. Bar tenders sometimes start drinking while working, which could end up poorly. This is another reason to protect yourself against any possibility.
Even if you’ve thoroughly trained your employees regarding the serving of alcohol to patrons and you know they’re diligent in their duties, there are still potential issues that can arise. Maybe your waitstaff didn’t realize they were serving drinks to someone who came in drunk already. Or maybe someone is secretly topping off that drink with their personal flask. Just one major liability claim could ruin a restaurant or bar, which means you want to be covered in case someone comes after you for impaired judgement or anything else. You can get coverage to take care of legal or court costs. Even if a problem occurs off your property, if it can be proven that it correlates with the alcohol served at your business, you can be held responsible.
Reach out to Four Seasons Insurance for any questions on liquor liability insurance. We can show you the many options out there to serve you best.
