Super Bowl Safety
February 2, 2023
Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner, and if you’re a football fan, you may already be planning your Super Bowl LVII celebration! Since we are the Official Injury Lawyers of the Tennessee Titans, we may not be celebrating quite as enthusiastically as fans of the Chiefs or Eagles, but we’re still football fans, and we understand the excitement and anticipation that accompany the big game and its festivities. Regardless of who you’ll be cheering for, or if you’re just watching to see Rihanna’s halftime show, our team wants all football fans to get home safely and avoid situations that may put yourself or others at risk of a personal injury. If you’ll be attending or hosting a Super Bowl gathering, here are a few tips to make sure your party doesn’t end in a penalty.
Make a Game Plan
Big games tend to generate big excitement. With every touchdown or tackle, you and your guests may be tempted to celebrate with a drink. Super Bowl Sundays have evolved to be one of the top beer drinking days of the year. It is estimated that around 325.5 million gallons of beer are drank and about $1.3 billion are spent on beer each Super Bowl Sunday. And when we say beer, that is what we mean; these numbers don’t even include wine, liquor, or any other types of adult beverages that contain alcohol.
If you or your guests plan to drink, pace yourself and be aware of your surroundings. Defense wins championships. Watching the Super Bowl can turn into a 3-5 hour activity, and if you’re only fueling your body with alcohol throughout the whole game, it is highly likely that you will be blitzed by the end. Make sure to have plenty of food, snacks, and water along with any alcohol you consume. Avoid binge drinking and discourage others from drinking in excess as well. When an individual consumes a lot of alcohol in a short period of time, the chance of them being seriously injured or them seriously injuring someone else increases.
Don’t be blind-sided by your alcohol tolerance – monitor it and avoid exceeding it.
Dram Shop Claims
Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol are required to responsibly do so at all times. An establishment hosting a Super Bowl watch party and serving alcohol negligently could have deadly consequences for patrons, especially during an event that draws larger crowds. A bar at full (or over) capacity with too many people and not enough staff members may be more likely to serve alcohol carelessly to those who are underage or visibly intoxicated. In these instances, a dram shop claim may be brought against a vendor for permitting or encouraging dangerous activity that ends in injury. Dram shop laws hold third party establishments that serve alcohol accountable for injuries caused by over-serving their patrons. If you’ll be attending or hosting any Super Bowl celebrations at a bar or restaurant, do so cautiously, and look out for those in your party who are drinking.
Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk
The most blatant personal foul with the worst consequences of any Super Bowl party is letting another fan drive while under the influence instead of benching them. Super Bowl Sundays continue to be one of the most dangerous dates of the year based on drunk driving statistics. On Super Bowl Sunday in 2017 alone, 47% of all traffic fatalities were due to drunk driving.
If you plan to leave home and celebrate elsewhere, have a designated driver lined up before kickoff, and make sure they stay sober throughout the event. If you cannot find or do not have a designated driver, plan to use one of the many rideshare platforms (Uber, Lyft, etc.) to ensure everyone in your group gets home safely.
If you’ll be hosting a party with alcohol, you are still somewhat responsible for attendees getting home safely. Consider having a cutoff time to stop serving guests. If you want to abide by NFL guidelines and treat your gathering like you were actually at the Super Bowl, consider cutting off alcohol at the end of the 3rd quarter. Hosts can also go as far as collecting car keys when guests arrive and only returning them after checking their sobriety upon leaving.
When the game is over and the season ends, what matters most is your safety. We understand the excitement that accompanies the Super Bowl, and we want all fans to enjoy the day. However, the best way to guarantee a win is to have a good game plan in place – that goes for fans too. Celebrate accordingly while celebrating responsibly.
After all, there’s always next season!
Speaking of next season, we’ll be giving away Titans home game tickets throughout the duration of the 2023-2024 season before you know it. Visit titans.hughesandcoleman.com to join our mailing list to receive announcements of upcoming giveaways.
As always, we hope you don’t need us, but we’re available if you do. If you’re injured, call 800-800-4600. We are available 24/7 to take your call and complete a free case evaluation.
