Skip to Content
Top
When Your Back Is Against The Wall

North Carolina Social Host Law

Determining Who Is Liable for a Drunk Driving Accident

If you are injured in a drunk driving accident in North Carolina, your case against the alleged drunk driver may be easy to prove—but that doesn’t mean a damage award will be easy to collect. The cost of serious, permanent, disabling injuries may easily reach seven figures, far exceeding a driver’s insurance limits and personal assets. Even an injury that requires a routine hospital stay and a short period of convalescence while you’re out of work may place you in serious debt.

If the drunk driver only carries the minimum level of insurance, that policy won’t cover all your losses. The outlook is even worse if, like many repeat offenders, the drunk driver had a suspended license and no insurance at all. Fortunately, liability for your accident may not be limited to the drunk driver who hit you. At Lanier Law Group, we’re prepared to go after all possible responsible parties, including social hosts who may be liable for serving alcohol.

Read on to learn more about social host law or contact us now for a free, confidential consultation: (855) 757-4204

Understanding North Carolina’s Social Host Liability Law

A series of court decisions in North Carolina have created a common law duty for social hosts to act with care when serving alcohol to guests, regardless of the guest’s age.

Under these decisions a host may be liable for any foreseeable accident an intoxicated guest causes if these conditions existed:

  • The host served or provided the alcohol
  • The host knew or should have known the person being served was intoxicated
  • The host knew the person would be driving after being served alcohol

For example, if the driver who caused your accident went to a party at Mary’s house, and Mary served alcohol, noticed that her guest was getting a bit tipsy due to him lurching as he walked or slurring his speech, and she knew that he’d be driving home, Mary would have a duty to cut him off. However, if Mary continued to serve her drunken guest, she may be liable for any accident due to his impairment.

Proving Liability in Social Host Law Cases

Social host liability may be difficult to prove because so much of it depends on what the host observed and knew or should have known. The court applies a reasonable-person standard in such cases, asking whether a reasonable host would have noticed that the guest was intoxicated. The timeline for the evening also comes into play, because if the guest left the party and consumed alcohol elsewhere before the accident, it would be difficult—if not impossible—to prove the host was at fault.

Given the complexity of cases involving social host liability, you need experienced and determined legal representation. When you hire a heavyweight like Lanier Law Group, you get a team of aggressive advocates who pursue every opportunity to maximize your recovery.

Contact Us Today for a Free Consultation

Lanier Law Group has been fighting for injured North Carolinians since 1997. To learn how our experienced North Carolina social host liability lawyers may be able to pursue compensation in your drunk driving injury case, schedule a free consultation with us today.

Call us at (855) 757-4204 or contact us online.

We Fight for Our Clients

*Featured Case Results, Settlements, & Trial Wins From Our Attorneys
  • $5.95 Million Permanent Brain Failure

    Our client had a brick fly off of a utility trailer and go through their windshield and hit her on the face.

  • $4.3 Million Head-On Collision

    Personal injury litigation settlement for a client who was involved in a head-on collision with a commercial tractor-trailer.

  • $1.8 Million Litigation Settlement

    Our client was involved in a motor vehicle accident with a meat truck.

  • $1.2 Million Pedestrian Accident

    A settlement against a trucking company who struck pedestrian leading to amputation.

  • $993,135.67 Truck Accident

    A trucking company's driver crashed an 18-wheeler into the side of our client’s car as she attempted to make a left turn.

  • $736,717.55 T-Bone Collision

We Never Back Down From a Fight

Featured Reviews, Testimonials & Results
    "20 out of 10 stars."
    There are times in your life you are so hurt and feel life has a grudge against you. Nothing in your life is going right. I lost the most important person in my life to death, of which I knew mistakes were made because I witnessed it with my own eyes. When you contact a law group you most of the time get all business and a matter of fact conversation. I want all to know that from the first phone call they listened to my lengthy story, sobbing most of the time with so much compassion. They never made any promises but offered assurances that no stone would be unturned. They fulfilled every word they said. They restored faith that I had lost. Until you are in a position like mine you can never know how invaluable Lanier Law Group is. They were wonderful while maintaining their professionalism. They treated me like a family member. They really do care about their clients. But most of all they are the best at what they do. I worked in the court system for years so I knew how attorneys and law firms basically operated. Understanding the law and it's interpretation is the ultimate key to winning any case. Also know that if an attorney/attorneys study and review your case and know that you don't have a chance in a court of law and are big enough to tell you that instead of giving you false hope, you then my friend have a group with valuable shared values. I have so much respect for everyone in this Law Group. I recommend Lanier Law Group, P.A. to anyone who needs representation, they are in your corner. 20 out of 10 stars.
    - Diane W.
    "Lanier Law Group will always be the choice for me and all my family members"
    I started working with Lanier Law Group in 2020 on my Social Security Disability case. They from start to finish were awesome. My case manager Janet Hanks and attorney, Ashley Sappenfield were always available to answer all my questions. I did not have to do much but sit back and let them handle whatever was needed. My case took too long (2 years) and if I did not have Janet and Ashley My case would still not be approved. I would recommend Lanier to anyone to get the job done and approved. Do not go to another firm with your case, who promise the world and do not see it to completion and do not think another firms would have worked as hard as they did on my case. Lanier Law Group will always be the choice for me and all my family members to handle any cases of this type and other legal services they provide. They went above and beyond!
    - Phillip J.
    "So thankful for your expertise and professionalism"
    Mrs. Gonzalez did an awesome job of explaining everything in detail and keeping me informed on the status of my case. Despite poor customer service with the insurance company, Mrs. Gonzalez was able to fix what they could not. Mrs. Gonzalez was very helpful with helping me understand things that I was not aware of when dealing with insurance claims. I am so thankful for her expertise and professionalism.
    - Mario H.
    "Always ready to answer any questions I may have"
    The staff kept me well informed in a more than timely manner and was always ready to answer any questions I may have.
    - Timothy M.
    "The Lanier Law Group provided excellent customer service!"
    The Lanier Law Group provided excellent customer service! My main contact was Denise.
    - Malinda P.
    "Great experience"
    Great experience. Tish was very helpful as my case progressed and explained all of the steps to me, leaving me with very few questions. Shea was also very helpful during the negotiation process.
    - Nyesha B.

Don't Hire Just Any Firm

Take Control of Your Case Today With the Help of Lanier Law Group
  • We Never Back Down
    Our attorneys are confident taking cases to trial and will always seek to maximize your compensation.
  • We're Here For You 24/7
    Regardless of when you contact our firm, we're here to make sure that you get the answers you need. We also offer weekend appointments and consultations.
  • We're In Your Corner
    Every case we take on has a team of dedicated professionals assigned to make sure that we're delivering the best possible service and results.
  • We Come Prepared

    After an injury, every second counts. We are available to meet with you in person, virtually, or at your location to provide the highest quality legal counsel.