Washington Drug and Alcohol Liability Attorneys

Legislation requires that  establishments that sell or serve alcohol or cannabis are responsible for ensuring that purchasers are of legal age and are not already intoxicated. Failure to comply with this legal duty, especially when it results in an injury, opens the retailer, bar, or restaurant up to liability for the injury.

What is Drug and Alcohol Liability?

Drug and alcohol liability is relevant when a minor or already intoxicated person injures, dies or kills someone after being served or sold alcohol or drugs. This includes any type of injury, beyond just intoxicated driving; assault, alcohol poisoning, etc. Laws are in place to help police the behavior of intoxicated people or minors by limiting their access to substances that can impose injurious outcomes. By governing bars, restaurants, liquor stores, grocers, convenience stores, and cannabis dispensaries, drug and alcohol liability laws promote responsibility for proper service, in return for the privilege of selling controlled goods. In cases where these laws aren’t followed and injury is caused by an underage or over-served customer, liability falls on the selling party.

What are Social Hosting Laws?

Social hosting laws are similar to drug and alcohol liability for commercial outlets, but they apply to guests in your home. These laws come into play in cases of underage drinking at house parties. If you are hosting minors at a party, whether or not you have allowed guests to drink or use drugs, you have similar liability to a bar or liquor store, in the case of personal injury. Keep this in mind whenever you are hosting a party, especially for those below the legal drinking or cannabis purchasing age.