January and February can be pretty cold and dreary months for much of the country. Sure, late November and December are not sunny and bright months, but with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s everyone seems to be too busy to notice or care. But once the trifecta of festivities is done and over with, it can be a let down not to having anything on the social calendar until Spring Break. But in recent years, this has changed.
A new “holiday” per se has popped up that requires no gift giving or fancy dress-up attire: just good food, good people, and a television. Yes, Super Bowl Sunday has become not just a day for football fans, but a reason to throw a party. It helps that even if you are not a pigskin fan, the commercials are often just as good if not better than the game itself. Not to mention, there is always the never dull half-time show. Some folks tune in just because they know it will be the main topic of conversation around the water cooler at work on Monday morning. If, however, you are tempted to host a Super Bowl party, there are a few things you should know before you invite people over.
The biggest thing you should be aware of is that by hosting a party, you could open yourself up to liability. In other words, one or more of your party-goers could sue you. If this sounds highly unlikely, did you know that you could be held liable if someone eats contaminated food at your home and later becomes seriously ill? Also depending on the state where you host your party, you could be liable as a “social host” if one of your guests overindulges and gets into an accident. You may also be on the hook if a person slips and falls on your walkway or driveway, or even within your home. To protect yourself, you do not have to cancel the party, but do make sure to take the following steps:
- Check your insurance policy. If you want to know if your homeowner’s or renter’s policy will cover a guest who slips and falls or gets food poisoning, you need to check your policy by calling your insurance agent.
- Be careful with the food. Sure, hosting a party can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a lot of work. Which is why many hosts have guests each bring a dish, order take-out, or if the party is large, have food catered. Any of these three options lessens the cooking burden for the host but, still do not eliminate a potential liability problem. A host can be held liable if a person becomes ill from food served, even if the host did not make it. The best way to prevent foodborne illnesses is to make sure that hot food is kept hot and cold is kept cold and if you are in doubt as to whether a food is still safe to eat, toss it.
- Extend the party for guests who have imbibed too much. While Kansas and Missouri do not have “social host” liability which extends Dram Shop liability to hosts that let intoxicated adults leave their home, other states do. But for everyone’s safety, please extend the party for folks who need to sober up or call them a ride.
If you or a loved one were injured at a party due to the negligence or recklessness of another, it is important to know that you may have legal recourse. The Kansas City Injury Attorneys at Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. have helped countless injury victims, in both Kansas and Missouri, obtain compensation for their injuries. Our caring team of attorneys will take the time to listen to you and carefully review the facts of your case. To schedule an initial consultation with one of our experienced Kansas City Attorneys, contact Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P. today at (816) 472-4673. At Hubbard & Kurtz, L.L.P we are devoted to helping injury victims!