Liquor Claim Mitigation and Prevention

Things The Insured Can Do To Prevent or Mitigate Liquor Liability Claims

 

• Make sure that all of your alcohol serving or selling employees have formal alcohol awareness training (Centrex Online Training, TIPS, TAM, BEST, RAMP, TABC-Certified, Serve-Safe, Learn2Serve, etc.).

 

• Maintain copies of alcohol awareness training certifications for all employees and make sure that all such certifications are current.

 

• Hold regular and frequent meetings with your alcohol serving and selling employees to stress the importance of not serving or selling alcoholic beverages to alcohol impaired or minor patrons and how to recognize and handle such patrons.

 

• Routinely observe your employees to make sure that they are providing responsible alcohol service and checking age ID where appropriate.

 

• Retain copies of receipts and credit card slips for at least three years.

 

• Use ID scanners to check the age ID of your customers. The scanners read the bar codes and electronic strips on the back of most states’ driver’s licenses.

 

• Do not have alcoholic beverage promotions that encourage irresponsible drinking by your patrons such as 3 for 1 happy hours, ladies drink free night, very long or late happy hours, etc.

 

• Do not have closing times that are later than the prevailing closing times of similar establishments in your general area.

 

• Do not allow your employees to drink alcoholic beverages on your premises while on duty or after their shift ends.

 

• If you have a last call before closing time, do not allow your patrons to order more than one drink at last call.

 

• At closing time, have your manager and bartenders and security personnel form a reception line by the door to monitor the sobriety of departing patrons while saying good night and thanking them for coming. If a patron appears to be intoxicated, try to arrange alternate transporatation for them such as a taxi cab, a relative or a friend to drive them home, etc.

 

• Whenever you engage an outside firm as an independent contractor to provide services (security services, etc.) for your establishment, you should always do the following:

 

• Have a written contract with the independent contractor.

 

• The written contract should contain a clause wherein the independent contractor is required to have General Liability insurance in effect with minimum limits of $1,000,000 each occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate.

 

• The written contract should contain a broad hold harmless clause wherein the independent contractor holds your firm harmless for their negligence.

 

• The written contract should contain a clause wherein the independent contractor is required to have your firm added as an additional insured under the independent contractor’s General Liability policy.

 

• The written contract should contain a clause wherein the independent contractor is required to provide your firm with a certificate of insurance that confirms that your firm has been added to the General Liability policy as an additional insured.

 

Please report all claims to: claims@centrexuw.com