Suing a Sports Arena Under Texas Dram Shop Law

Sports fans often enjoy attending a game with concessions and a cold drink in hand. This is a great past time and mostly harmless unless the sports arena is over-serving patrons to the point that they become a danger to them self or those around them. When this happens, injuries can occur. Under Texas law, if someone is injured as a result of the over-service of alcohol, you have a dram shop case.

In this article, Texas dram shop lawyer Michael Grossman discusses how to sue a sports arena for the over-service of alcohol.

Questions Answered on This Page:

• Can you sue a sports arena for over-serving a patron if they cause an accident?
• Is the sports arena responsible if an intoxicated fan injures them self or someone else?

What Texas Dram Shop Has to Say About Intoxicated Sports Fans

Under Texas law, there are first-party dram shop cases (when an intoxicated person hurts them self) and third-party dram shop cases (where an intoxicated person hurts someone else). Both of these kinds of cases are common when dealing with places like sports arena. Fans come together have a few drinks and if they're over-served, accidents can happen.

There are several elements that must be proven in order to have a successful dram shop case. So if you or someone you know was injured by an intoxicated sports fan, these four things must be proven in order to win your claim:

• The place that over-served the alcohol was licensed to serve alcohol (sports arenas are licensed under TABC)
• The intoxicated person was an adult recipient (someone over the age of 18)
• The person was served past the point of obvious intoxication
• The over-service of alcohol was the proximate cause (the primary cause) of the injuries incurred in the accident

Our firm has handled hundreds of dram shop cases, and we can answer whatever questions you may have about these elements. It's fairly simple to prove that the arena was licensed and that the recipient of the alcohol was an adult, the last two elements are a bit more complex. That's why it helps to have an experienced dram shop attorney on your side.

Common Examples of Sports Arena Dram Shop Cases

There are many types of possible dram shop cases, but there are a handful of scenarios we see all the time. When it comes to an intoxicated person injuring them self, if they've been grossly over-served we've seen clients suffer from alcohol poisoning. It's also common for an intoxicated person who is not functioning at their normal level of awareness to stumble out into traffic or step out in front of a vehicle and be injured in that way.

The most common third party scenarios include intoxicated people getting behind the wheel and causing an accident on their way home from the game or getting involved in an altercation a the game or in the parking lot and injuring someone in the process.

Any of these situations could lead to a dram shop case where the sports arena have the potential of being held liable for serving alcohol in a negligent fashion.

Call the Texas Dram Shop Attorneys at Grossman Law Offices

At Grossman Law Offices, we have over 25 years of experience successfully handling dram shop cases in the state of Texas. We've won literally thousands of personal injury claims and we're confident we can help you with your claim too. We have attorneys standing by to speak with you 24/7. Call us today at 9855) 326-0000.

Other articles about Texas dram shop cases that may be helpful:

• Can Bars Be Held Liable for Slip and Fall Accidents?
• How Can Large Serving Sizes Be Evidence that a Bar Over-Served Someone?
• How Do Courts Decided Whether a Bar or Drunk Is More Responsible for an Injury?