Choosing to serve alcohol in your restaurant can be a great source of income, but it also brings a significant risk to your business. If any member of your staff serves alcohol to someone they shouldn’t, your restaurant is almost always liable for any damage that they cause. This can range from anywhere from a broken window in a bar fight up to a serious DUI accident. If your establishment serves any type of alcohol, you must understand the laws and liability behind it. Below is a quick guide explaining how liquor liability, or dram shop laws, work in Pennsylvania.
Every Employee Is Required To Serve Responsibly
No matter what position your employee is in, whether that is a server, bartender, ID checker, etc., they are responsible for serving alcohol in a responsible way that follows state and local laws. Some of these considerations include:
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Ensuring everyone served is over 21 years of age (in many places, everyone in the party must be over 21, or no one can be served)
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Prohibiting service to customers who are visibly intoxicated
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Making sure that no fake IDs are being used to hide a customer’s age
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Ensuring that staff are aware of intoxicated customers attempting to drive home
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Making sure that all staff are certified to serve alcohol
RAMP Certification
In Pennsylvania, any employee who serves alcohol and the owner/manager of the establishment must complete a Responsible Alcohol Management Program (RAMP) certification and keep it current. This program educates managers and employees about how to serve alcohol in a safe and responsible manner, and how to notice the signs that someone should not be served. If someone who is not RAMP certified serves alcohol, the restaurant may also be responsible for that customer’s behavior.
What Damages Are Restaurants Liable For?
If a patron who was illegally served alcohol creates any kind of damage, your restaurant faces serious liability. Whether that customer assaults and injures someone in a fight, creates property damage like breaking a window or setting something on fire, or gets into a DUI and injures another driver, you can be responsible. With serious damages, it may only take one incident to shut down your restaurant for good.
Protect Your Restaurant With Liquor Liability Coverage From Strickler Insurance
In order to save your restaurant from a massive expense due to damages caused by an improperly served customer, it is important to have liquor liability coverage. Luckily, Strickler Insurance can help you find a liquor liability or dram shop policy that allows your business to serve alcohol with a little more peace of mind. Strickler can also take care of general restaurant insurance that covers your business as a whole. Get a free restaurant insurance or liquor liability coverage quote from Strickler Insurance today.
