Having a restaurant or bar can be a great business venture, but it also comes with responsibilities, particularly in the case of alcohol. Many states today have laws that can place liability on the establishments that contributed to a person’s intoxication when those patrons cause injury to others. Whether it is a fight in or outside of the bar or an accident as a patron tries to make his or her way home, problems can and do occur. The following are some of the ways that your establishment can reduce their liquor liability.

Train the Staff

According to DriversLicenseGuide.com, a survey conducted in 2015 of Yale University students and other colleges found that 37% of those who responded had a fake ID. Your staff needs to be trained to check the IDs of those who enter the bar, or those who are trying to order alcohol at the restaurant. They must make sure the face matches the ID, make sure the license has not expired, that it is a valid license, and that it has all of the other security details of licenses in your state. Continual training of staff is necessary to help spot these fake IDs.

Be sure you are reviewing best practices with your staff, and have handwritten policies, as well as a system for reporting incidents. The staff should also attempt to track alcohol consumption, and they should have properly trained security available.

Refusing Service and Serving Responsibly

Responsible service can also help with these incidents. You want to make sure you have water on hand for patrons, so they can keep hydrated, and you might want to serve food or snacks as well, in the case of a bar. This can help to absorb some of the alcohol to prevent higher levels of intoxication.

FoodServices.InsureOn.com also suggests that you should not be afraid to refuse service. Have a policy in place that explains what to do and how to refuse service if someone is intoxicated.

The staff should be ready to call a taxi to take people home, as well. Having someone behind the wheel who is intoxicated is bad for everyone on the road, and it opens you up to serious liability issues. It is better to call a taxi for a patron and spend the money on the fare than it is to face a lawsuit if they were to get into an accident.

Liquor Liability Insurance

An article at GeneseeIns.com discusses the importance of having the right insurance in place that can help to provide coverage for bars and restaurants. They suggest that in addition to liquor liability insurance, establishments should also have assault and battery coverage. This is because liquor liability will not extend coverage if someone were to sue the establishment if they were allegedly forcefully removed or if one of the staff has an incident with one of the visitors.

By using these simple tips, you can reduce your liquor liability exposure, and ensure the patrons who visit have a better time.