Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Stacy's Sports Bar? Here's What You Need To Know
My firm has handled more liquor liability (dram shop) cases than anyone else in Texas. With over 30 years of practice behind me, I can attest to just how many bars regularly fail to adhere to alcohol service laws, particularly when it comes to their obligation to refuse service to patrons who are already drunk. While the public might see or hear about a drunk driving accident from time to time, it is much less common for it to hear about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. In order to increase people's awareness of this problem, I dedicate a portion of my time to researching the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint database and reporting my findings here on my website. If you think you may have a dram shop (liquor liability) claim and have questions about how to proceed, please call me at (855) 326-0000.
Stacy's Sports Bar is located in San Antonio, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC on multiple occasions due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2016 and 2019, authorities conducted three investigations into the bar's alcohol service practices.
In my experience, it's 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 contribute to 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 Stacy's Sports Bar for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Stacy's Sports Bar Between 2016 and 2019
San Antonio - 3805 Blanco Road
Allegations:
On 05/20/2016, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, alleging that staff was drinking on the job and sold drugs on the premises.
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, investigators had no such evidence to support the claim. Unable to take any action, they decided to close the case on 06/07/2016.
A member of the San Antonio community reached out to the TABC on 02/19/2019, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to both a minor and an obviously intoxicated person.
TABC agents looked into the matter, but due to a lack of video evidence, they could not determine the veracity of the claims. Unable to take any further action, authorities decided to close the case on 04/14/2019.
A citizen complaint, dated 10/1/2019, claimed that staff was drinking on the job, in addition to selling alcohol to an intoxicated person and during prohibited hours.
The subsequent inquiry was not successful at determining the validity of the allegations. With no other course of action available, authorities opted to conclude the investigation on 11/10/2019.
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.
