What to Know When Planning a Special Event
Many of us will plan to host or attend a special event this holiday season. Whatever the celebration, it is likely that alcohol may be part of the festivities. If you choose to serve alcohol you will want to make sure that you do not expose yourself to liability in the event someone gets hurt.
Ensuring you have the right permits is a good first step in limiting your liquor liability. Ensuring you have adequate insurance if you are hosting an event outside of your home is another. A Special Occasion Permit (SOP) is required for any special occasion where alcohol is available for sale or service outside of a licensed establishment or private residence. Applications for SOP’s are available at most LCBO stores.
A SOP provides important information for hosting a special event. It describes the duty of care that the host of a special event owes to ensure the safety of all guests in attendance. The SOP describes ways to keep special events safe. This includes ensuring alcohol is not served to minors, guests are not served to intoxication, and providing guests who do become intoxicated a safe transportation option home.
Serving and consuming alcohol can lead to dangerous behaviour if not done responsibly. Even with a Special Occasions Permit, a host can still be found liable if a person is harmed because of a foreseeable and unreasonable risk. If you, or someone you know, have suffered injuries because of an event where alcohol was available a personal injury lawyer may be able to help.
