Court Opinion

ID: 9634393
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 13:09:58.543786+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:09:01.628667
License: Public Domain

ROBERTS, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
Section 493(1) of the Liquor Code makes it “unlawful ... for any licensee or the board, or any employe, servant or agent of such licensee, or the board, or any other person, to sell, furnish or give any liquor ... or to permit any liquor ... to be sold, furnished or given, to any person visibly intoxicated____” 47 P.S. § 4-493(1) (emphasis added). The use of the language “any other person” clearly manifests a legislative intent to impose an obligation upon all persons to refrain from furnishing alcoholic beverages to visibly intoxicated persons in circumstances which create a reasonably foreseeable risk of harm to third parties. In light of this legislatively imposed standard of conduct, the complaint in trespass, which seeks recovery for injuries allegedly caused by the serving of liquor by a social host to a visibly intoxicated guest, should be reinstated. See Manning v. Andy, 454 Pa. 237, 310 A.2d 75 (1973) (Manderino, J., dissenting, joined by Roberts, J.).
Accordingly, I dissent, would reverse the order of the Superior Court, and would allow the case to proceed to trial.