Who may be held liable for incidents resulting from over-serving customers?

Liability for incidents resulting from over-serving customers can extend beyond just the establishment or the individual server or bartender. When customers are over-served alcoholic beverages and subsequently engage in harmful behavior, such as accidents or injuries, both the establishment and the individual server or bartender may be held liable under Arizona law.

This principle is grounded in the concept of "dram shop liability," which holds that businesses serving alcohol have a responsibility to ensure their patrons are not overserved and endanger themselves or others. This means that the establishment, by virtue of its role in serving alcohol, can be held accountable for its policies and practices related to serving customers. Additionally, individual servers and bartenders also have a personal responsibility to monitor their patrons’ consumption and to refuse service when appropriate.

Both parties sharing the liability reflects a legal stance that encourages responsible serving practices within the industry and acknowledges that all involved play a role in promoting safe alcohol consumption.