Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Lily's Kings Lounge? 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.
Lily's Kings Lounge is a bar located in San Antonio, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the TABC's attention on a number of occasions due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2017 and 2019, authorities conducted four 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 Lily's Kings Lounge for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Lily's Kings Lounge Between 2017 and 2019
San Antonio - 111 Whitewood
Allegations:
The TABC received a complaint on 03/08/2017 from a concerned citizen who alleged the bar sold alcohol to a minor as well as an intoxicated patron, in addition to selling alcohol during prohibited hours.
Authorities launched an inquiry 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. Since they had neither in this investigation, agents closed the case on 04/08/2017.
An anonymous source contacted the TABC on 12/19/2018, alleging the bar permitted staff to sell drugs on the premises in addition to selling alcohol to a drunk person.
As mentioned in the first investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to back up most claims of wrongdoing. Having no such evidence in this case, authorities could take no action and thus decided to end their work on 02/02/2019.
A citizen complaint, filed on 03/13/2019, accused the bar of selling alcohol to an intoxicated person.
Due to a lack of video evidence, authorities could not determine the veracity of the claim. Consequently, investigators shut the case on 05/11/2019.
An unnamed source reached out to the TABC and claimed that a breach of the peace (typically a fight) occurred on 06/25/2019.
Once again, investigators lacked the evidence necessary to confirm the allegation and could not take any further action. As a result, the case came to a close on 08/14/2019.
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.
