A liquor liability claim is one of the most severe claims a craft brewery can face, Beall Brewery Insurance reports. But there’s a silver lining: there are many steps a craft brewery can take to prevent liquor liability claims. One of the most important is empowering staff to make smart decisions.
The First Line of Defense
All brewery staff must be thoroughly trained to understand the importance of preventing liquor liability claims—and the steps they can take to do just that. Training programs such as LEAD (Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs) or TIPS (Training for Intervention ProcedureS) or even The Hanover’s low-cost, web-based training program for craft breweries insured with its craft brewery insurance package, are a great place to start.
Establishing your brewery’s policies and procedures—and training staff to follow them thoroughly—are the next step.
“Servers are the first line of defense,” Beall points out.
It’s vital for servers to feel empowered to cut off patrons who appear intoxicate. They should feel comfortable calling in management (or even the police, if necessary) to deal with unruly patrons. And they should be trained to offer to call a ride service for patrons who appear too intoxicated to drive.
A Real-World Example
That was clearly not the case for one server, who served a total of 24 beers to three people over the course of two hours. It’s not surprising that the patrons had a car crash not far from the establishment—injuring themselves as well as the person they hit.
Poor training, poor management, and poor business practices can add up to a whopper of a liquor liability claim. Protect your staff and your business: be sure you have sufficient liquor liability coverage… and do everything in your power to avoid a claim in the first place.
For more than 25 years, Beall Financial and Insurance Services, Inc., has been helping corporations and individuals protect their most important assets. The agency’s client base covers a spectrum of niche businesses, such as craft breweries, that require specialized insurance packages and knowledge. With California offices in Redlands and Newport Beach, Beall Financial and Insurance Services serves clients nationwide.
