[larrys]

Sure but there is legal precedent for that as well as it's an easy concept for the everyday man to understand. (Employee and seeing them makes it a open and shut case.)

As an aside, signs like that are the same as ones that appear in auto shops that say "insurance regulations don't allow you in the shop". I owned a company that did manufacturing and said a similar thing because I didn't want anyone in the machine area. I've dealt with insurance companies for many years they don't dictate things like that at least from my experience.

Your example is correct though the restaurant would be liable in the situation you cited because you actually saw an employee steal the coat. If you saw someone else NOT connected to the restaurant AND the coat was expensive you are probably out of luck. It's your property and there is no assumption that a restaurant protects you from acts of god.

The key is was their negligence on the part of the restaurant.

On the other hand if there was a large party at the restaurant and normally a coat check girl that's a different story (devils in the details with this stuff).