Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Rusty Spur Saloon & Steakhouse Private Club? Here's What You Need To Know
Over the last 30 years, I've worked to hold reckless bars accountable for over-serving alcohol. My experience handling hundreds of cases has opened my eyes to just how many bars consistently fail to follow alcohol service regulations. 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 irresponsible bars play in those accidents. Since most people don't do what I do for a living, I make an effort to share my insights in hopes of calling more attention to this issue. One way I do this is by periodically reviewing Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission 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, please call me at (855) 326-0000.
Rusty Spur Saloon & Steakhouse Private Club is located in Seymour, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted a substantial amount of attention from the TABC due to a number of allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2015 and 2019, authorities conducted three separate investigations into the bar's alcohol service practices.
In my experience, it's 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 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 Rusty Spur Saloon & Steakhouse Private Club for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Rusty Spur Saloon & Steakhouse Private Club Between 2015 and 2019
Seymour - 600 S Main Street
Allegations:
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 10/23/2015, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person.
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 12/05/2015.
On 05/05/2017, the TABC received a complaint from an unnamed source who alleged that staff was drinking on the job, sold alcohol to a drunk patron, and both served and permitted consumption of alcohol during prohibited hours.
As stated in the previous investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to corroborate most claims of wrongdoing. Since investigators found none on this occasion, they could not determine the veracity of the claims and subsequently ended their work on 06/22/2017.
A member of the Seymour community reached out to the TABC on 03/01/2019 and accused the bar of selling alcohol to both an intoxicated person and a minor.
After nearly three months of investigation, authorities could not locate any hard evidence of a violation. As a result, they decided to shut the case on 05/24/2019.
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.
