Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Halftime at Highway 21? Here's What You Need To Know

I've sued more reckless bars for failing to adhere to liquor laws than anyone else in the state of Texas. With three decades of experience and hundreds of cases behind me, I have seen just how frequently bars put profit before safety and over-serve alcohol, in spite of their legal obligation to serve responsibly. While people might see or hear of drunk driving accidents from time to time, they don't tend to hear as much about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. In order to raise more awareness of this topic, I spend a portion of my time researching the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint database and writing about my findings here on my website. If you think you might have a dram shop (liquor liability) claim, don't hesitate to call my office at (855) 326-0000.

Halftime at Highway 21 is a bar located in Bryan, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. In 2019 alone, authorities conducted five separate investigations into the bar's alcohol service practices.

In my three decades of legal practice, rarely have I seen bar end up involved in a wrongful death or injury case that didn't have a history of complaints on file with TABC. Almost every bar I've ever sued was already on the authorities radar, so when I see a bar that has been investigated several times over a short period, it raises my concern that it could one day play a part in an accident.

Note: Investigations are not proof of wrongdoing. However, if authorities investigate and fail to find evidence, 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 Halftime at Highway 21 for possible criminal or administrative violations.

TABC Investigations of Halftime at Highway 21 in 2019

Bryan - 5809 Hwy 21 East

Allegations:

On 01/18/2019, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a minor.

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 02/17/2019.

A member of the Bryan community reached out to the TABC on 02/19/2019, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to a minor and that a breach of the peace (typically a fight) took place.

Upon investigation, authorities were able to determine that the bar failed to report a breach of the peace, which they classified as an administrative violation. After handing down a written warning, the TABC closed the case on 03/21/2019.

Law enforcement filed a complaint with the TABC on 04/09/2019, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a drunk person and that a customer was stopped for a D.W.I.

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 05/07/2019.

A second law enforcement complaint reached the TABC on 07/11/2019, accusing the bar of two counts of selling alcohol to a minor, along with selling alcohol to a drunk person and failing to report a breach of the peace.

The subsequent investigation found evidence that the bar failed to report a breach of the peace and permitted a minor to possess or consume alcohol on the premises. After handing down unspecified penalties, the TABC closed the case on 08/28/2019.

The TABC received a citizen complaint on 12/02/2019, claiming that staff was drinking on the job, sold alcohol to a minor, and that a breach of the peace occurred.

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 02/01/2020.

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.