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Torts keyed to Best
Graff v. Beard
Citation:
858 S.W.2d 918 (Tex. 1993)Facts
The Graff and Hausmon families hosted a party. At the party, Houston Moos consumed alcohol to the point he became intoxicated. After becoming intoxicated, Moos left the party in his vehicle. While on the road, Moos struck a motorcycle driven by Brett Beard, who suffered injuries from the incident. Beard sued both Moos and the host families for negligence.
At the trial court level, the court dismissed Beard’s claim against the host families for failure to state a claim, as Texas courts had never previously found that party hosts may be liable for the acts of their intoxicated adult guests. Beard appealed, and the Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the case on the grounds that the families were liable for the actions of guests who became intoxicated at their party. The families appealed to the Texas Supreme Court.
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