Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Adolios? Here's What You Need To Know
For three decades, I've been holding bars accountable for over-serving alcohol. In the hundreds of cases I've handled, I've seen just how widespread irresponsible alcohol service is, as well as the tragedies that often follow in its wake. While people might see or hear about drunk driving accidents from time to time, rarely do they hear about the role that reckless bars play in those accidents. In order to draw more attention to this issue, I dedicate a portion of my time to investigating the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint records and reporting my findings here on my website. If you believe you may have a dram shop claim, please call my office at (855) 326-0000.
Adolios is a Mexican restaurant located in Brownsville, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC on several occasions due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2016 and 2020, authorities conducted no fewer than six investigations into the restaurant'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 Adolios for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Adolios Between 2016 and 2020
Brownsville - 2370 Hwy 77/83 Northsuite 1326
Allegations:
On 07/22/2016, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, alleging that the restaurant 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 09/09/2016.
A member of the Brownsville community reached out to the TABC on 05/24/2017, again claiming that the restaurant sold alcohol to an underage patron.
As mentioned in the previous 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 06/22/2017.
The next citizen complaint came on 09/12/2018, alleging once more that the restaurant sold alcohol to a patron under the age of 21.
The ensuing investigation failed to find any hard evidence of a criminal or administrative violation. As a result, authorities could not take any action and thus concluded their efforts on 10/31/2018.
A further citizen complaint, filed on 12/14/2018, alleged that the restaurant sold alcohol to a minor.
As in the other investigations, TABC agents did not have any video footage to support the claim. With no other course of action available, they decided to wrap up their work on the case on 03/30/2019.
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 04/04/2019, accusing the restaurant of selling alcohol to a minor.
On this occasion, the TABC found evidence that the restaurant allowed a minor to purchase and consume alcohol, which it classified as both administrative and criminal violations. After handing down two unspecified penalties, authorities closed the case on 05/01/2019.
The next citizen complaint came on 01/16/2020, accusing the bar of selling alcohol to an underage patron.
While the investigation that followed failed to find any evidence to corroborate the initial claim, it did find proof of one count of public intoxication, which it classified as a criminal violation. After deciding not to take any action, authorities closed the case on 02/18/2020.
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.
