Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Casa Jalisco Mexican 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.

Casa Jalisco Mexican Grill is a restaurant chain with four locations across 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 no fewer than four investigations into the chain'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 Casa Jalisco Mexican Grill for possible criminal or administrative violations.

TABC Investigations of Casa Jalisco Mexican Grill Between 2018 and 2019

Port Lavaca - 1928 W Main

Allegations:

Law enforcement filed a complaint with the TABC on 10/20/2018, alleging that the restaurant sold alcohol to an intoxicated person.

Authorities looked into the matter shortly thereafter. Even when the source of a complaint is a police officer, 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 12/01/2018.

A second law enforcement complaint reached the TABC on 01/31/2019, again accusing the restaurant of selling alcohol to a drunk customer.

While the ensuing investigation failed to find any evidence to support the initial claim, authorities did uncover evidence that the restaurant failed to report a breach of the peace (typically a fight), which they classified as an administrative violation. After issuing a written warning, the TABC closed the case on 03/29/2019.

Yet another law enforcement complaint, filed on 05/16/2019, accused the restaurant of selling alcohol to an intoxicated customer, as well as allowing a minor to both purchase and possess or consume alcohol.

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 06/17/2019.

On 08/14/2019, a concerned citizen contacted the TABC, claiming that the restaurant sold alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person.

TABC agents conducted an inquiry, but due to a lack of video evidence, they could not determine the veracity of the claim. As a result, investigators could not take any further action, leading to their decision to close the case on 09/20/2019.

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.