You may be planning on hosting a holiday get together within the next few weeks. You’re probably worried about decorations, the food and drinks and the lighting, but what you really need to be focused on is the safety of your guests.
You should be concerned with making sure that guests don’t drink too much and that no one under the age of 21 is consuming alcohol. These are both scenarios that could land you in some serious trouble!
Our Jupiter personal injury attorneys understand that if party hosts serve or provide alcohol to an underage person, they can be held liable for damages should something happen. It may sound silly, but the statistics speak for themselves:
More than 10 percent of 16- and 17-year-old and more than 20 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds reported driving under the influence in a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey.
Remember, it’s illegal to serve our young ones!
You also don’t want to overserve even those of age, because these people may leave your house and easily get involved in a drunk driving car accident. Give your guests the best holiday present of the year — safety!
Review the following party-hosting safety tips to help to keep you and your guests safe over the holidays.
Hosting a Safe Party:
-Try not to make alcohol the main focus of the party. Turn up some music, get a dance party started, play some games, serve some delicious food and get into some quality conversation.
-Don’t push alcohol on your guests. Don’t forget to offer them nonalcoholic beverages.
-Provide plenty of food. No one wants to drink on an empty stomach. Avoid salty foods as well. These only make guests thirstier.
-Cut off the drinks at a decent hour. Your best bet it to stop serving a couple hours before the party ends.
-Bring in people who you know won’t drink. They can help with setting up and can help to make sure that everyone has a safe ride home.
-Keep the phone numbers to taxi companies on hand for those who forgot to designate a sober driver.
-Try asking everyone to give up their keys at the beginning of the night. Toss them in a bowl and only give them back to the sober drivers at the end of the night.
-Make sure you know everyone’s age, or ID everyone, at your party. You don’t want alcohol to get into underage hands.
-Turn your sofa or your spare bedroom into a hotel and allow intoxicated guests to spend the night and sleep it off.
You never want your holiday party to end with a guest getting into an accident on the way home. Make sure everyone who gets behind the wheel after your party is sober. It’s a sure way to protect the safe of everyone!
If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident, contact Freeman, Mallard, Gonzalez & Sharp to discuss your rights. Call us for a free and confidential consultation at 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
MADD and West Palm Attorneys Supporting Victims’ Rights, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, August 5, 2012
MADD and the NFL Team Up to Prevent Drunk Driving-Related Teen Car Accidents in Hollywood and Elsewhere, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, December 9, 2011