Party hosts can be held responsible for accidents and injuries that occur on their property.
On a Saturday night in early August, a young man’s house party quickly spiraled out of control when over 2,000 guests responding to social media invites descended on his parents’ Michigan farmhouse.
Officers with the Sheriff’s Department initially came out to the party after receiving reports of illegally parked cars. However, once there they saw much more disturbing violations including multiple incidents of underage drinking as well as drug use by partygoers as young as 14. Multiple 911 calls were placed by individuals requesting help for overdosed or injured friends, but the chaos was so complete deputies said it was extremely difficult to even get the ambulance down the road.
Ultimately, at least 7 party guests were taken to the hospital. Most of these individuals were suffering from suspected drug and alcohol overdoses, but one man had fallen off a barn while intoxicated and required treatment for serious injuries. Authorities are also looking into reports of a sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman.
The host of the party, James Taylor, said he was grateful that the authorities intervened and broke up the party. However, he believes that whatever happened at the party was the free choice of the individuals present and not his responsibility. Unfortunately, the law disagrees. Taylor and his parents are currently facing criminal charges related to the events that occurred on their property during the party.
In some states, the Taylors could also face civil liability for the accidents and injuries that occurred not only on their own property due to their own failures in premises upkeep, but also due to the actions of any guest to whom they had served alcohol. However in California our social host liability law only makes party hosts responsible for the actions of their drunken guests when a cover has been charged. This is because the law has been interpreted to make a cover charge identical to a liquor sale.
If you have been injured at a party where a cover was charged, you need to understand that more than one party may be liable for your damages the host and the person who injured you. By contacting experienced personal injury attorney Fernando D. Vargas, you can get help gathering all the evidence needed to prove liability and to quantify your damages so that you can secure the compensation you may be entitled to.
