Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Bar C & Grill? Here's What You Need To Know
My firm has sued more bars for liquor law violations than any other in Texas. In my over 30 years of experience, I have repeatedly seen just how serious the consequences can be when bars over-serve alcohol. While the public might see or hear about a drunk driving accident from time to time, it's much less common to hear about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. One of my goals is to raise awareness about the extent of this problem. To this end, I dedicate some of my time to investigating Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission complaint records and reporting what I find here on my website. If you think you might have a dram shop (liquor liability) claim and would like to learn about how to proceed, please call me at (855) 326-0000.
Bar C & Grill is located in Stephenville, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted a tremendous amount of attention from the TABC due to numerous allegations of liquor law violations. Over just a four-year period, authorities conducted no fewer than eleven 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 Bar C & Grill for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Bar C & Grill Between 2015 and 2019
Stephenville - 2517 E Washington
Allegations:
On 06/08/2015, law enforcement contacted the TABC and alleged that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person.
TABC agents looked into the matter, but failed to turn up any evidence to support the initial claim. However, they did manage to uncover evidence of other unrelated violations, for which they handed down an unspecified penalty. On 07/15/2015, authorities closed the case without any further action.
A second law enforcement complaint came on 04/13/2016, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a minor.
This time, the investigation was able to prove the allegation, which the TABC classified as both a criminal and administrative violation. After handing down an unspecified penalty, agents concluded their work on the case on 04/23/2016.
The next complaint came from a concerned citizen on 10/10/2016, accusing the bar of selling alcohol to an underage patron.
Authorities conducted an inquiry into the accusation soon 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 particular case, investigators decided to wrap up their efforts on 12/11/2016.
A member of the Stephenville community contacted the TABC on 02/07/2017, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to both a minor and an intoxicated patron.
As mentioned in the previous investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video evidence to back up most claims of wrongdoing. Since they found no such evidence in this investigation, they decided to close the case on 04/02/2017.
A citizen complaint, filed on 10/11/2017, alleged that the bar sold alcohol to a patron under the age of 21.
After nearly two months of investigation, authorities had not found any hard evidence of a criminal or administrative violation. Unable to take any further action, they decided to bring the case to a close on 12/08/2017.
On 02/02/2018, a citizen complaint brought the TABC back to investigate once more. This time, the allegations were that staff sold drugs on the premises, in addition to selling alcohol to both a minor and a drunk patron.
The TABC conducted an inquiry into the accusations, but was not successful at turning up any proof of a violation. With no other course of action available, investigators closed the case on 03/31/2018.
An unnamed source reached out to the TABC on 08/24/2018 and alleged that the bar sold alcohol to an underage customer.
Upon investigating, authorities were able to turn up corroborating evidence. For some reason, they decided not to hand down any punishment, choosing instead to close the case on 09/11/2018.
Yet another citizen complaint came on 09/19/2018, alleging once more that the bar sold alcohol to a minor.
Unlike in the previous investigation, authorities were not able to uncover any evidence of wrongdoing. After a month and a half of work, the TABC ended its efforts on 11/03/2018.
Less than two weeks after the previous investigation ended, the TABC received another citizen complaint that alleged the bar sold alcohol to both an underage customer and a drunk customer.
The TABC looked into the allegations and discovered evidence that, not only did the bar allow a minor to possess or consume alcohol, it also sold alcohol to someone who was not a club member. After deciding not to hand down any punishment for either violation, investigators closed the case on 12/02/2018.
A citizen complaint, filed on 05/21/2019, accused the bar of selling alcohol to a minor.
Due to a lack of video evidence, authorities were not able to confirm the validity of the accusation. Unable to take any action, investigators shut the case on 06/19/2019.
On 09/06/2019, law enforcement filed a complaint that the bar sold alcohol to a patron who was already over the limit.
The investigation that followed lasted less than two weeks, which is far shorter than the typical length of a month or two. After failing to find any evidence of wrongdoing, authorities closed the case on 09/19/2019.
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.
