Graduation is a major milestone in the life of young people and their parents. The month of June is filled with graduation parties, as many young people look forward to new adventures. These events often bring together family and friends of both the graduate and the parents. While mom and dad play host to these events, the location, style, and type of party vary in terms of size and budget. One important consideration that parents who host a graduation party should keep in mind is taking the necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of their guests.
To prevent accidents while protecting yourself from liability, make graduation party safety a top priority. Here are some tips to consider when you are planning a party for your graduate.
Alcohol Use and Graduation Party Safety
One of the major factors in ensuring graduation party safety is deciding whether alcohol will be served. While the guest of honor and their friends may not be old enough to drink, many parents choose to serve alcoholic beverages for the sake of family members and their own invited guests. If you do serve alcohol, you should make sure that it is not served to anyone underage. Follow these tips for throwing a safe party where alcohol is involved:
Limit the amount of alcohol served to prevent your guests from becoming intoxicated;
Consider offering one or two specialty drinks for the occasion that have a lower total alcohol content;
Provide plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages;
Be prepared to offer rides homes, pay for taxicab fare, or allow guests to sleep over if they have too much to drink.
Whatever you do, do not allow your guests to drive drunk. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death and injury in the U.S.
In addition to the adults at your party, monitor young people, who are particularly susceptible to serious accidents. Teenage drivers are involved in a disproportionately high number of crashes and fatal accidents. The rate of fatal crashes for drivers ages 16 to 19 is nearly three times the rate for drivers ages 20 and older, according to the IIHS.
The month of June is one of the deadliest for driving accidents for teenagers, according to the IIHS. You may be held liable in North Carolina as a party host if you furnish alcohol to a party guest who is under the age of 21 and the guest gets intoxicated and then causes an accident with injuries when leaving your party.
Tips for Throwing A Safe Party in Your Home
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accidents and mishaps that occur around the home have the potential to cause serious and potentially life-threatening injuries, resulting in as many as 11,000 unintentional injury deaths each year. When you are planning to invite people into your home, it is important to be aware of the types of accidents that can occur, and how to avoid them.
Follow these tips to throwing a safe party in your home:
- Make sure patios, paths and walkways are clear of debris, well lit, and free of uneven ledges to avoid slip and fall accidents.
- Reinforce the handrails on stairs and outdoor decks.
- Use caution when using a grill or fire pit near guests to avoid burns and make sure to have a water source nearby in case of emergency.
- If you own a dog, keep it enclosed in another room. Even an otherwise friendly dog can bite when agitated by noise and confronted by strangers.
- Provide plenty of water and shade for guests on hot days to avoid dehydration.
- Prepare for any food allergies your guests may have, make sure all meats are well cooked, and avoid leaving milk, eggs, or mayonnaise-based foods out where they can spoil.
- If you have a pool, make sure it is fenced and that swimmers are supervised at all times to avoid drowning accidents.
The above can help you prevent common types of home-related injuries, while also helping you to avoid legal liability and potential lawsuits for damages your guests may suffer that are related to their injuries. Under North Carolina premises liability law, property owners owe a duty of care to invited guests to keep their property free of dangerous or unsafe conditions. In the event that you or your loved one is injured while a guest at a graduation party, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your medical bills and lost wages stemming from the injury, through an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit.
Reach Out to Us for Legal Assistance
At Hardison & Cochran Attorneys at Law, we care about the health and safety of both you and your loved ones. If you or someone you care about is involved in an accidental injury in North Carolina, contact our experienced personal injury attorneys. We provide aggressive legal representation to hold responsible parties accountable, while making sure your rights and interests are protected. We serve clients in Raleigh and throughout the North Carolina area. Call or contact us online today for a free consultation.
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