The majority of the country has some form of a dram-shop law or social host liability law, imposing liability on the servers or retailers of alcohol for the acts of those who become intoxicated. These laws differ greatly from state to state and these law are not the only way victims of an intoxicated customer can seek damages against a bar or restaurant.

The attached article was published in the July 2019 edition of DRI’s For The Defense Magazine, in the Retail & Hospitality section, and it reviews the most common situations where bars and restaurants are sued for acts of an intoxicated person and provides recommendations to reduce liability.