Considering A Dram Shop Case Against River Crossing Golf Club? Here's What You Need To Know
My firm has handled more dram shop cases than any other in Texas. With 30 years of experience behind me, I have seen countless examples of bars that fail to follow alcohol service regulations and the tragic consequences that can result. This issue is more rampant that people realize, and one of my goals is to bring it to the public's attention. One way I do this is by reviewing Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission complaint records and posting about my findings. If you think you may have a dram shop (liquor liability) claim and want to know how to proceed, please call me at (855) 326-0000.
River Crossing Golf Club is located in Spring Branch, Texas. While most of its visitors come to enjoy a round of golf in the Texas Hill Country, it has also received a number of visits from the TABC in recent years due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, authorities conducted three separate investigations into the club's alcohol service practices.
In my experience, it is uncommon for a bar without a history of run-ins with the TABC to end up on the hook for contributing to a wrongful death or injury. Virtually every bar I have ever sued was already on the authorities' radar. That's why I pay close attention to bars with several recent complaints against them. The more investigations a bar has had, the greater my concern is that it could one day cause an accident.
Note: Investigations are not proof of wrongdoing. However, if authorities investigate and fail to find evidence of a violation, it doesn't necessarily mean an establishment is innocent, either. The purpose of this article is simply to relay publicly-available information about incidents where the TABC has investigated River Crossing Golf Club for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of River Crossing Golf Club Between 2018 and 2019
Spring Branch - 500 River Way
Allegations:
On 01/29/2018, a concerned citizen contacted the TABC and alleged that the club was employing a person under the age of 18 to handle alcohol.
Authorities followed up soon after with an investigation. For most liquor law violations, the TABC requires either video footage of the incident or eyewitness testimony from one of its agents in order to take action. In this particular instance, authorities had neither. As a result, the case came to a close on 03/01/2018.
A member of the Spring Branch community filed a complaint on 04/09/2019, alleging that staff was drinking on the job. This type of allegation is more serious than it might appear at first glance. Staff has a legal obligation to stop serving alcohol to patrons who exhibit signs of being dangerously intoxicated. If staff itself is intoxicated, its ability to judge when to stop serving is impaired.
As mentioned in the previous investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to back up most allegations of wrongdoing. Since agents did not have any such evidence in this case, they could not determine the veracity of the claim and could thus take no action. On 04/09/2019, they closed the case.
A citizen complaint, filed on 09/23/2019, accused the bar of multiple violations: permitting the sale of drugs on the premises, selling alcohol to an intoxicated person, patrons consuming alcohol during prohibited hours, and allowing gambling on the premises.
After well over a mother of investigation, authorities had not managed to find any evidence of wrongdoing. As a result, they could not take any action, leading to their decision to shut the case on 11/13/2019.
Texas Law Says Accident Victims Can Sue Bad Bars
If you would like to learn more about Texas dram shop law (i.e. lawsuits against bars who play a role in injurious or fatal accidents), please visit our Texas Dram Shop Law Info Page.
