Following the restructuring of Local Cue on July 18, the South Carolina Bar & Tavern Association held a news conference as a call to action to the public in addressing the soaring costs of liquor liability insurance for bars, restaurants and entertainment venues that serve alcohol.
In attendance at the conference were SCBTA Executive Director Christopher Smith, Local Cue owner Leah Vaughan, Jocassee Valley Brewing owner and SCBTA board member Edward Martin, and Greenville County Council candidate Frank Farmer.
“I want everyone to contact your state rep, your state senator and the governor, and tell them we need to pass S. 533, which is the S.C. Justice Act,” Smith said.
Senate bill 533 would modify South Carolina’s joint and several liability law by allowing the court to consider the percentage of fault that falls upon businesses when making a judgment on a civil lawsuit. As it stands now, every bar visited bears equal liability regardless of the quantity served.
The cost of insurance premiums has reached a crisis point in the last few years, leading to businesses citing liquor-liability laws as a reason for closing in the Upstate and throughout South Carolina.
