Flanked by legislative leaders, Governor McMaster has signed the bill offering some relief to restaurant and bar owners, who say the state's drunk driving liability statutes were driving them out of business.
Representatives of the hospitality industry were also on hand when the governor signed the Tort Reform and Liquor Liability act into law calling it "a commonsense solution that provides accountability, certainty, and just compensation without damaging our economy."
The new law allows a jury to consider a so-called non-party's conduct when assigning fault to a plaintiff's injury in civil cases, reducing the liability of the defendant such as a bar or entertainment establishment. Businesses cannot be held liable for more than fifty percent of damages in DUI cases.
The million dollar liability insurance requirement can be reduced by a quarter-million if the bar stops serving a midnight, 100,000 more if employees undergo server training, or when alcohol accounts for less than 40% of revenue.
Non-profits and organizations obtaining a special-event license will get a half million dollar break.
