Food & Beverage Litigation Survey Vibe Beverage Conference March, 2010 Las Vegas, Nevada Prepared by Elizabeth A. DeConti, Esq. in support of the presentation Ensuring Responsible Service at the Bar….and at the Table By Elizabeth A. DeConti, Esq. and Stephen Barth Elizabeth A. DeConti, Esq. Gray Robinson, P.A. (813) 273-5159
[email protected] Stephen Barth HospitalityLawyer.com Conrad N.Hilton College, University of Houston (713) 963-8800
[email protected] PREFACE Every year, literally thousands of liability claims are filed against food and beverage providers. These claims include allegations of improper service of alcohol, inappropriate preparation techniques for food items, and the failure to properly warn consumers of a potential circumstance, such as an ingredient that a reasonable person would not usually expect to find in a food or beverage product. The vast majority of these claims will be resolved before they ever reach the trial level (it is estimated that 95% of all claims are resolved prior to trial). Of those that are tried, a small percentage of those will be appealed. It is the cases that are appealed (also referred to as “reported cases” that become significant to attorneys to help guide them and their clients on the best ways to avoid potential liability. The following paper includes a description of major reported lawsuits (cases that went to trial and for one reason or another were appealed) that were decided in 2009. These cases were selected because of their potential significance to the industry. Every attempt was made to explain the concepts, facts and decisions without the use of legalese.