Halloween Party: Social Host Liability WA State
Halloween parties are a popular way to celebrate the holiday; it’s an excuse to dress up and get together with friends. Hosts decide how to decorate their home, what food and beverages to serve and who to invite. If the social host chooses to serve alcohol they should be especially wary if there are minors present; it is illegal in all 50 states to serve alcohol to a minor. Some adults mistakenly believe that allowing teenage children and their friends to consume alcohol under their roof is safer than somewhere else. If an intoxicated underage guest causes injury to themselves or another person or property while at the party or after leaving the party, the social host may be liable.
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Drunk Driving Accidents Soar During the Holidays
Drunk driving accidents cause thousands of personal injuries and fatalities every year. A report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2007, identified 36 fatalities per day on average between 2001 and 2005 caused by car accidents involving an alcohol-impaired driver. Some times of the year experience lower fatalities while others such as the Christmas holiday period and New Year’s Eve have much higher numbers.
Christmas and New Year’s drunk driving accidents statistics
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Social Hosting: Underage Minors
Many teenagers and other underage minors choose to consume alcohol. Some parents mistakenly believe that providing a “safe place” for their teenager and his or her friends to drink is better than letting them drink elsewhere. When you allow your teen to drink under your roof you become a social host. Things can quickly get out of control when alcohol is being consumed; someone may get injured on the premises or drive away and injure themselves or someone else in a drunken car accident and you could be held liable.
Most underage drinkers get their alcohol from social sources such as parents, siblings, and friends at parties and other social gatherings. Some states and local communities including Washington have taken steps to hold liable those people who provide or serve alcohol to minors or allow drinking on their property.
Social Hosting Defined
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Social Host Liability: Drinking and Driving
Tis’ the season of parties and where there are parties, there is usually alcohol. Many people open their homes to friends, family, employees, and clients to celebrate the season. It is imperative for hosts to understand, however, that if you serve alcohol in your home or some other social setting, you could end up facing legal consequences if one of your guests drives drunk and injures someone, or if a guest is under the legal drinking age of 21. Washington State’s social host liability laws (and other similar laws around the country) are in place to put responsibility on hosts not to allow inebriated guests to drive home and to discourage underage drinking parties.
The statistics don’t lie. During the Christmas and New Year period, the average number of fatalities involving an alcohol-impaired driver rise by more than 30 percent, on average.
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