Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Beerz? Here's What You Need To Know
My firm has handled more liquor liability (dram shop) cases than anyone else in Texas. With over 30 years of practice behind me, I can attest to just how many bars regularly fail to adhere to alcohol service laws, particularly when it comes to their obligation to refuse service to patrons who are already drunk. While the public might see or hear about a drunk driving accident from time to time, it is much less common for it to hear about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. In order to increase people's awareness of this problem, I dedicate a portion of my time to researching the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint database 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.
Beerz is a restaurant located in La Grange, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, authorities conducted two separate 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 Beerz for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Beerz Between 2018 and 2019
La Grange - 115 Post Oak Road
Allegations:
On 10/15/2018, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC and alleged that the restaurant sold alcohol during prohibited hours.
While the investigation that followed did not produce any evidence to support the initial claim, authorities did manage to find evidence that staff was drinking on the job, which they classified as both an administrative and criminal violation. After handing down an unspecified penalty, the TABC closed the case on 11/19/2018.
A member of the La Grange community reached out to the TABC on 10/16/2019, claiming that staff was drinking on the job, sold alcohol to a minor, and sold alcohol during prohibited hours.
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 01/28/2020.
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.
