Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Ricardo's Night Club? Here's What You Need To Know
Over the last 30 years, I've worked to hold reckless bars accountable for over-serving alcohol. My experience handling hundreds of cases has opened my eyes to just how many bars consistently fail to follow alcohol service regulations. While people might see or hear about a drunk driving accident from time to time, they don't tend to hear about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. Since most people don't do what I do for a living, I make an effort to share my insights in hopes of calling more attention to this issue. One way I do this is by periodically reviewing Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission complaint records 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.
Ricardo's Night Club is located in Victoria, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted a significant amount of attention from the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. In 2019 alone, authorities conducted three separate investigations into the club'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 Ricardo's Night Club for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Ricardo's Night Club in 2019
Victoria - 4102 N Navarro Street Suite E
Allegations:
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 05/08/2019, claiming the bar permitted a minor to possess or consume alcohol.
Authorities looked into the matter shortly thereafter. 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. Having neither in this investigation, authorities decided to close the case on 06/12/2019.
A concerned citizen filed a complaint on 07/18/2019, alleging the club sold alcohol to both a minor and an intoxicated person, in addition to allowing customers to consume alcohol during prohibited hours.
After nearly two months of investigation, authorities were unable to find any corroborating evidence. With no other course of action available, they closed the case on 09/13/2019.
A member of the Victoria community reached out to the TABC on 09/26/2019, claiming that the club sold alcohol to an underage patron.
As mentioned in the first investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to back up most allegations of wrongdoing. Since authorities had none in this investigation, they were unable to take any action, leading to their decision to close the case on 10/26/2019.
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.
