Party-Medics and Legal Liability

You don't want to be arrested or sued for throwing a party, and neither do we!

Ticket prices and venue closures are pushing more nightlife spaces underground; and while that doesn't have to be a bad thing, it does open up the hosts to legal and financial risks.

The State and City of New York require several permits and inspections for parties, including fire safety, alcoholic beverage control, and building safety among others. The approval processes can be lengthy, expensive, and discriminatory. 

If a medical emergency (or tragedy) happens at an underground/unregistered party, hosts can be held liable in several ways. Some punishments towards hosts of unlicensed parties are criminal charges, which can include: 

• Burglary (3rd degree - class D felony)

• Criminal trespass (2nd degree - class A misdemeanor)

• Criminal mischief (4th degree - class A misdemeanor)

• Alcohol beverage control violations (misdemeanors)

  • Possession

  • Selling and bartering

  • Inter/intrastate transport

  • Storage

Also, the event of a medical emergency that prompts 911 intervention, hosts of these parties, if caught, can also be held legally liable for civil damages related to: 

• Wrongful death

• Negligence

So: why does this mean your next party should have a medic? 

Party Medics are extraordinarily effective at treating partygoers’ illnesses and injuries on the scene, greatly reducing the need for outside intervention (and the chances for authorities to arrive).

If there is an emergency, the Party Medic can make sure the guest arrives safely to the ER via ride-share, saving them hundreds of dollars in medical bills in the process and leaving ambulances out of it. 

And if an ambulance is absolutely necessary, and authorities arrive as a result, the presence of a hired Party Medic shows that the hosts took steps to plan for guest safety and invested in their “duty of care”.