Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Rodeo Nights? Here's What You Need To Know
I have sued more bars for irresponsible alcohol service in the last thirty years than anyone else in Texas. Having handled hundreds of cases, I can attest to just how widespread the practice of over-serving customers is. While people might see or hear about drunk driving accidents from time to time, rarely do they hear about the role that reckless bars play in those accidents. In the interest of helping the general public see the real extent of this problem, I spend a portion of my time researching the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's record of complaints and posting about my findings here on my website. If you think you might have a dram shop (liquor liability) case, don't hesitate to call me at (855) 326-0000.
Rodeo Nights is a night club located in Perryton, Texas. While most of its visitors come for the live music and dancing, the club has also received a number of visits from the TABC in recent years due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2018 and 2019, authorities conducted four separate investigations into alcohol service practices at Rodeo Nights.
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 contribute to an accident.
Note: Investigations are not evidence that a bar has broken the law. Investigators must have sufficient proof that there was a violation of TABC regulations in order to take legal action. Owing to the nature of liquor law violations, that proof can often be difficult for authorities to obtain. The purpose of this article is simply to relay publicly-available information about incidents where the TABC has investigated Rodeo Nights for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Rodeo Nights Between 2018 and 2019
Perryton - 12775 Loop 143
Allegations:
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 01/09/2018, alleging that the bar permitted a minor to buy and consume alcohol.
Authorities followed up soon after 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 02/27/2018.
A second law enforcement complaint brought the TABC back to investigate on 06/06/2018. Once again, the allegations were permitting an underage patron to buy and consume alcohol.
While the ensuing investigation did not manage to find any evidence to support the claims, authorities did discover that a breach of the peace (typically a fight) occurred. After issuing a written warning for an administrative violation, the TABC closed the case on 08/14/2018.
The TABC received another law enforcement complaint on 10/02/2018, charging the bar with permitting a minor to possess or consume alcohol.
After over two months of investigation, TABC agents failed to uncover any hard evidence of a criminal or administrative violation. On 12/19/2018, authorities shut the case.
On 09/26/2019, law enforcement reached out to the TABC once more and alleged that a breach of the peace took place.
Upon investigation, authorities were able to substantiate the claim, which they classified as an administrative violation. For some reason, the TABC decided not to hand down any punishment, choosing instead to close the case on 12/07/2019.
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.
