Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Dog House Pub & Grill? Here's What You Need To Know

I've sued more reckless bars for failing to adhere to liquor laws than anyone else in the state of Texas. With three decades of experience and hundreds of cases behind me, I have seen just how frequently bars put profit before safety and over-serve alcohol, in spite of their legal obligation to serve responsibly. While people might see or hear of drunk driving accidents from time to time, they don't tend to hear as much about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. In order to raise more awareness of this topic, I spend a portion of my time researching the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint database and writing about my findings here on my website. If you think you might have a dram shop (liquor liability) claim, don't hesitate to call my office at (855) 326-0000.

Dog House Pub & Grill is located in Brownsville, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted a substantial amount of attention from the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2016 and 2019, authorities conducted five separate investigations into the bar's alcohol service practices.

In my three decades of legal practice, rarely have I seen bar end up involved in a wrongful death or injury case that didn't have a history of complaints on file with TABC. Almost every bar I've ever sued was already on the authorities radar, so when I see a bar that has been investigated several times over a short period, it raises my concern that it could one day play a part in an accident.

Note: Investigations are not proof of wrongdoing. However, if authorities investigate and fail to find evidence, 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 Dog House Pub & Grill for possible criminal or administrative violations.

TABC Investigations of Dog House Pub & Grill Between 2016 and 2019

Brownsville - 568 Springmart Boulevard Ste 700

Allegations:

On 05/10/2016, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a minor.

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 06/08/2016.

A member of the Brownsville community reached out to the TABC on 09/21/2017, claiming again that the bar sold alcohol to a minor.

While authorities did not manage to find any evidence to back up the initial allegation, they did uncover evidence of an unrelated administrative violation. After issuing the bar a written warning, authorities closed the case on 10/25/2017.

An anonymous complaint, filed on 05/15/2018, alleged that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated patron.

As mentioned in the first investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to back up most claims of wrongdoing. Since authorities had no such evidence in this investigation, they could not take any action, leading to their decision to close the case on 06/12/2018.

Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 12/07/2018, accusing the bar of selling alcohol to a patron who was already over the limit.

The ensuing investigation failed to turn up any evidence of a criminal or administrative violation. As a result, authorities could not take any action, which led to their decision to shut the case on 02/25/2019.

The next law enforcement complaint came on 09/04/2019, once again accusing the bar of selling alcohol to a drunk person.

Due to a lack of video evidence, authorities could not determine the veracity of the claim. With no other course of action available, the TABC concluded its investigation on 10/15/2019.

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.