Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Ole Crystal Bar? Here's What You Need To Know
I've been suing irresponsible bars for over-serving alcohol for 30 years. My experience handling hundreds of cases has repeatedly shown me just how many bars fail to follow alcohol service regulations, as well as the tragedies that all too often result. While people might see or hear about a drunk driving accident from time to time, they don't tend to hear about the role that reckless bars play in those accidents. In order to call more attention to this issue, I dedicate a portion of my time to reviewing the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint records 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, don't hesitate to call me at (855) 326-0000.
Ole Crystal Bar is located in Alpine, Texas. In addition to being a bar, it is also a dance club and music venue, often featuring live country music. Though it has a strong reputation with locals, Old Crystal Bar has also managed to attract a substantial amount of attention from the TABC over the years due a number of complaints alleging liquor law violations. Between 2017 and 2019, authorities conducted no fewer than five investigations into the bar's alcohol service practices.
In my experience, it is 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 cause 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 Ole Crystal Bar for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Ole Crystal Bar Between 2017 and 2019
Alpine - 410 E Holland
Allegations:
On 03/07/2017, the TABC received a complaint from a concerned citizen, alleging that the bar was employing a person under the age of 18 to sell alcohol.
Authorities followed up soon thereafter with an investigation. 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. In this particular instance, authorities had neither. As a result, the case came to a close on 04/04/2017.
A citizen complaint on 05/09/2017 brought the TABC back to investigate an allegation that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated patron.
As stated in the previous investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video evidence to corroborate most claims of wrongdoing. Having no such evidence to back up this allegation, authorities decided to wrap up their work on the case on 06/23/2017.
On 06/06/2017, an unnamed source reached out to the TABC and alleged that the bar sold alcohol to a patron under the age of 21.
The ensuing investigation failed to turn up any hard proof of a criminal or administrative violation. Consequently, authorities had no choice but to close the case on 07/15/2017.
Once again, the TABC received an anonymous complaint on 09/26/2017 that charged the bar with serving an underage customer alcohol.
As in all of the prior investigations, due to a lack of video evidence, the TABC was unable to prove any wrongdoing occurred. Thus, its agents could not take any action and subsequently ended their work on the case on 11/05/2017.
For the third time in a row, a member of the Alpine community got in touch with the TABC on 01/16/2019, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to a minor.
Predictably, authorities found no evidence to back up the claim. With the investigation at a dead end, TABC agents chose to close this case on 03/17/2019.
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.
