It was a Sunday afternoon like so many others during the Fall. Football on every one of my 30 widescreen TVs and my beloved patrons adorned in their favorite team colors. Thankfully most of them in the red and black of the Atlanta Falcons, or holdovers from yesterday’s Georgia Bulldogs game.

Hi, they call me Billy Barkeep and I operate one of the most popular sports bars in the area. I make it a point to know my regulars and to make sure they are well taken care of.

As I scan the establishment, I notice a little fracas in the back by the pool tables. I don’t employ a bouncer, as we are not the type of place to regularly experience the problems that would necessitate such a security measure, so I hurry to the back in hopes of quelling the excitement. Too late….some guy wearing what is left of a torn New Orleans Saints jersey is lying on the floor covering his head, while one of our regulars, Randy Rambunctious is kicking him. I quickly grab Randy and pull him away, but the Saints fan is hurt pretty bad.

We call an ambulance, as Randy and the others plea their case that the Saints fan had started it by hitting Randy in the head with a beer bottle. Randy points to the flow of blood coming from his scalp. The medics tend to Randy and the injured Saint’s fan. They leave with the Saint’s fan, I restore calm, and its business as usual.

A few weeks later, however, my problems start. I receive a certified letter from an attorney representing the Saint’s fan, who I now know is named Sammy Sohappy. Sammy is demanding a huge sum of money to cover his medical bills, lost wages and additional unspecified damages. I say to myself “Oh well! That’s what I have insurance for”, and head off to locate the documents my insurance professional, Andy Agent, gave me a few weeks ago when we discussed my renewal. Locating it in a nicely decorated binder titled “Restaurant Insurance Program” I quickly flip past the pages titled “Restaurant Property Coverage”, and “Restaurant Workers Compensation” to the one titled “Restaurant Liability Insurance”. I peruse the page until my heart stops…under the sub-heading “Restaurant Liquor Liability”, I see the words Assault and Battery excluded.

Now my agent, Andy, does a good job of keeping my Restaurant Insurance Cost down by obtaining several Restaurant Insurance Quotes for me to use as comparison. I reviewed the quotes he gave me, remembering much too clearly, that he adamantly pushed the one that included coverage for Assault and Battery. It was a few hundred dollars higher premium, though, and I passed on it.

I call my attorney, Marty Mouthpiece, and he confirms my sinking suspicions…I’m responsible for injury to my patrons while at my establishment. He then throws in for good measure that I’m also responsible for the actions of my patrons after they leave my bar if they are intoxicated!

So, they now call me Billy Bankrupt.

Oh yea, Randy, sued me too.

If this tale of woe sounds all too familiar to you, contact me today to discuss your restaurant insurance program at JCaffrey@SouthernStatesInsurance.com or (678) 715-9919.

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