Who is responsible for ensuring customers aren’t overserved at bars?

After a patron died falling down the stairs of this St. Louis bar and grill location, Ontario's Alcohol and Gaming Commission has moved to suspend its liquor license for 60 days. According to the AGCO's findings, the patron was served 14 23-ounce beers in about five and a half hours, the equivalent of over 21 standard drinks. The customer subsequently fell in a stairwell, leading to the bar's washroom. The AGCO investigation concluded. The bar permitted the patron to remain on the premises and continue to serve them alcohol after they'd become intoxicated. But who is liable? My firm has handled a lot of cases like this. Take it from a corporate lawyer who specializes in liquor licensing, it can be tough to prove. You'd look into everything from the patron. Did the patron know or should he have known that he was over-consuming? And could the server tell? This is where things like videotape come in. And are very important. If the patron was falling all over the place, then you can make the argument they should have known. But if the patron shows no signs of intoxication... Seems to be operating as a normal person would, then liability is going to be a lot more difficult to prove as against the bar. So what happens next in this case? If the bar appeals its license suspension, it goes to the License Appeal Tribunal. Vasso says most bars fight orders like this. Most establishments can't survive being shut down for 60 days, especially in this economy. For now, this bar can keep serving alcohol until a final decision is made, and that could take months. Managers have We have to set clear procedures, train employees, and support decisions when the employee says, I'm sorry, I can't serve the guest at this table. As a career server and hospitality professor, this expert says with high-profile incidents like this, reviewing smart serve obligations is a good idea. It is a delicate line between hospitality and responsibility, but it's a clear line, and it's set out in Ontario legislation. We have yet to hear back from St. Louis Bar and Grill to see if they will appeal. Ali Chasson, CBC News, Toronto.