Holiday Parties

Parties hit their peak during the holiday season, yet few hosts may be aware of the penalties they could face if a guest leave their party and is involved in a drunk driving crime. Sharon Epperson tells us about the liability issues you need to consider. In over half the states in this country, if you have a party and one of your guests gets very drunk and then goes out and hurts or kills somebody you can be held legally responsible. Thirty-one states have laws and/or court precedents that hold so-called "social hosts" who serve alcholic beverages liable as a third party to drunken driving crimes. Yet according to a new survey by the independent insurance agents, most hosts are in denial about their potential liablity. And the majority aren`t sure if their homeowners or renters insurance would cover them if an accident occurred. The best way to avoid liablity is to just use common sense: -limit the amount of alcohol that is served -make sure there is enough food -arrange transportation or let guests stay overnight -if you`re having a large party, consider hiring an off-duty police officer to monitor guests. But even if someone seems sober after a drink or two, the host could be liable if they`re involved in an accident. Reported By: Robin Rogers