Over the years our John Bailey Company team has written often about commercial insurance products including liquor liability insurance. If you own or operate a restaurant and/or bar, then understanding liquor liability insurance is business critical. No establishment wants to be caught off guard and face implication in contributing to an untimely fatal crash. Liquor liability laws vary by state and can be updated forcing businesses to face a heavier burden of responsibility. Today’s focus is liquor liability insurance – TRAIN your staff.
TRAIN – Teach Responsibility And Insure Now!
First, a look back to history…
Managing alcohol consumption has been part of our country’s history. Some of our readers may recall their parents or grandparents discussing prohibition. Congress proposed the Eighteenth Amendment on December 18, 1917, and by January 16, 1919, the required 36 states approved the amendment. After overriding President Wilson’s veto, the federal regulation (Volstead Act) went into effect on January 17, 1920. By 1933 the Twenty-First Amendment was proposed by Congress to repeal the 18th amendment and it was ratified by the required number of states. According to Wikipedia, “It is unique among the 27 amendments of the U.S. Constitution for being the only one to repeal a prior amendment, as well as being the only amendment to have been ratified by state ratifying conventions.”
Over the years, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was created, and we now understand that it is a combination of federal, state and local laws that prescribe the manufacture of alcohol, the sale of alcohol and who can drink alcohol.
The TABC Approves Alcohol Server Training Program
In an effort to encourage understanding Liquor Liability Insurance – TRAIN Your Staff and assist our present and future clients to insure a great life our team wants to share important news from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press “The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission regulates and enforces state laws that govern the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcohol throughout the state. It has both regulatory and licensing responsibilities while also operating a law enforcement division.”
On September 25, 2019, it was announced the TABC reviewed and approved the eTips On Premise training program. The press release which announced this approval states:
“The TABC-approved eTIPS course is a self-paced, innovative approach to alcohol server and seller training. It allows participants to obtain practical and valuable training anywhere and at any time. eTIPS participants who register with a Tennessee address will receive the TABC-approved training, in addition to eTIPS certification. The course is customized to deliver TABC-required information. Through interactive lessons, scenarios and quizzes, eTIPS gives servers the knowledge and confidence they need to recognize potential alcohol-related problems and teaches them to effectively intervene to prevent alcohol-related tragedies. Additionally, eTIPS can help Tennessee licensees reduce exposure to alcohol liability lawsuits, lower insurance rates, and improve customer satisfaction.”
This type of training is helpful for owners/operators in coaching their staff and assists in making sure that patrons receive good and safe service, while protecting their business investment.
Liquor Liability: Limit Your Exposure
In closing, we invite you to review a good overview of how to limit your exposure. It is important to understand that controls include recognizing management responsibility, the importance of education and training and staff controls. Set high standards for each level of staff and management.
If you are currently reviewing your liquor liability insurance, we invite you to contact us so that we can work with you to insure a great life and a great business venture.