California Court of Appeal

Summary judgment for defendants in a wrongful death action, in which plaintiffs alleged that defendants were liable for the death of their minor daughter, who consumed a large amount of alcohol while at a sleepover at defendants' house and died as a result, is affirmed, where: 1) applying the law in effect at the time of plaintiffs' daughter's death, although the defendants could have done more to protect, supervise or aid her, they are not liable for furnishing alcohol, making alcohol accessible, or failing to supervise her; 2) defendant-parents had a special relationship with plaintiffs' daughter because she was an invited guest in their home, but that special relationship, by itself, does not negate the specific statutory social host immunity applicable to these facts; and 3) as for defendant-minor, plaintiffs do not cite authority imposing a special relationship on a minor who invites another minor to stay the night.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/18/2014
• Published 06/18/2014

Judges

• MAURO

Court

• California Court of Appeal

Counsel