Considering A Dram Shop Case Against El Flamingo Night Club? 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.
El Flamingo Night Club is located in Houston, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. In 2018 alone, authorities conducted two separate investigations into the club'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 El Flamingo Night Club for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of El Flamingo Night Club in 2018
Houston - 3715 Aldine Mail Route
Allegations:
On 05/21/2018, a staff member contacted the TABC, alleging that the bar allowed customers to drink during prohibited hours.
Upon investigation, authorities were able to confirm the allegation, which they classified as an administrative violation. After handing down unspecified penalties, the TABC closed the case on 06/05/2018.
A concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC on 11/02/2018, claiming that the bar 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 01/03/2019.
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.
