Assault and Battery Insurance in Massachusetts

Why Can Businesses Be Held Liable for Confrontations Between Individuals?

Businesses aren’t automatically held responsible for every confrontation that occurs on their premises, but there are some situations in which a business might be held partially liable.

First, businesses that employ security personnel might be held responsible for injuries that their employees inflict during a confrontation with a customer or someone else. If the employee is fulfilling work-related duties when confronting a person, the employee is acting in the interest of their employer and their employer often could be liable for what transpires. This may be a concern for businesses that have bouncers or security guards, as well as any business that has an employee who might have to address an unruly customer.

Second, businesses that provide adult beverages might be held responsible if intoxicated customers do something inappropriate. If a customer becomes so drunk that they threaten or assault someone else, a business could potentially be found liable because they let the customer become so intoxicated. This is a common concern for bars, nightclubs and restaurants that serve large amounts of alcohol.

Third, lots of businesses could have an opportunistic attorney file an assault and battery lawsuit against them. Because businesses often have substantial assets, they’re occasionally targets for opportunistic lawsuits, and those lawsuits can come in the form of an assault and/or battery charge.