Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Rumorhazzit? 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.
Rumorhazzit is a bar located in Victoria, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted a significant amount of attention from the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, authorities conducted no fewer than six 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, 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 Rumorhazzit for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Rumorhazzit Between 2018 and 2019
Victoria - 5803 John Stockbauer 'D'
Allegations:
On 01/04/2018, the TABC received a complaint from a concerned citizen who alleged 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 02/08/2018.
A member of the Victoria community reached out to the TABC on 06/21/2018, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to a patron who was already intoxicated.
After two months of investigation, authorities still had not managed to find any hard evidence of an administrative or criminal violation. Unable to take any further action, the TABC closed the case on 08/21/2018.
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 08/29/2018, alleging the bar sold 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. Since investigators had none, they were unable to take any action, leading to their decision to close the case on 09/29/2018.
A second law enforcement complaint came on 12/12/2018, accusing the bar again of selling alcohol to an intoxicated person.
Even when the source of a complaint is a police officer, the TABC still requires corroborating evidence before taking action. Lacking such evidence in this investigation, authorities concluded their efforts on 02/03/2019.
On 02/07/2019, the TABC received a citizen complaint that alleged the bar sold alcohol to a patron who was already over the limit.
The ensuing investigation failed to turn up evidence to support the allegation, resulting in the TABC's decision to close the case on 04/07/2019.
A citizen complaint, filed on 09/10/2019, claimed the bar sold alcohol to both a minor and an intoxicated person, in addition to alleging that staff was selling drugs on the premises.
As in all of the previous investigations, authorities had no luck proving any wrongdoing took place. With no other course of action available, the TABC closed the case case on 10/27/2019.
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.
