Legal Question in Personal Injury in Maine

Re: Socail Host Liability

I would be happy to more formally consult with you regarding this issue if you contact me. I will confirm for you that Maine does extend liability to anyone who serves alcohol to someone who appears intoxicated and later causes an accident. The statute is often referred to as the "Dram Shop Act", although it is more broad than this title suggests.

You would be well served to consult with an insurance agent to see if you can get an umbrella policy to go on top of homeowners that would cover this type of liability. Such an umbrella should be for at least 1 mil and depending on the cost, even more.

You might also want to consider hiring someone at $10/hr to "stand guard", valet the cars, and call taxis for guests as another way of showing that you did all you could do as a host, also limiting your liability in the event someone still managed to drink too much and drive away.