Potentially. But an injury occurring at your party doesn’t automatically make you responsible. For example, if you knew a stair railing was broken, failed to warn guests, and someone fell, you could face a negligence claim.

Alcohol-related injuries are more complicated. Canadian courts have generally been reluctant to impose liability on private social hosts simply for providing alcohol. But as explained in our article on social host liability in Ontario, liability depends on various factors including foreseeability, control, and the circumstances of the gathering.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of relevant factors a Court may take into consideration in regard to a social host liability analysis:

• Was alcohol being served or were guests asked to bring their own;
• How many people were at the party;
• Was their underage drinking, drug use, or other risky behaviors that were condoned;
• What knowledge did the host have regarding the degree their guests’ intoxication; and
• Did the host continue to serve alcohol to visibly intoxicated guests.

Such relevant factors will be assessed, but the important distinction is between someone getting hurt at your party and someone getting hurt because you failed to take reasonable precautions.