Business Leaders Testify on Liquor Liability Insurance Concerns

To address liquor liability insurance concerns, the Vermont Chamber and Vermont Independent Restaurants (VTIR) are advocating for H.288, legislation that would amend the statutes governing liability for the sale of alcoholic beverages. Vermont’s statutes, which have not been amended since 1987, make Vermont an outlier and undesirable state to insure in. VTIR leadership members Chris Karr of the Killington-based Karr Group and Alex Crothers of Higher Ground testified that if this issue is not addressed urgently, their businesses are at risk of becoming inoperable in Vermont. 

The Vermont Chamber also provided testimony to amend the statute. Specifically, by updating Vermont’s dram shop laws to be in line with neighboring control states such as Maine, and to also remove the landlord from the chain of liability. The current chain of liability includes the server, the business owner, and the landlord.