Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Salado Creek Saloon? Here's What You Need To Know

For three decades, I've been holding bars accountable for over-serving alcohol. In the hundreds of cases I've handled, I've seen just how widespread irresponsible alcohol service is, as well as the tragedies that often follow in its wake. 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 order to draw more attention to this issue, I dedicate a portion of my time to investigating the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint records and reporting my findings here on my website. If you believe you may have a dram shop claim, please call my office at (855) 326-0000.

Salado Creek Saloon is located in Florence, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. In 2019 alone, 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 Salado Creek Saloon for possible criminal or administrative violations.

TABC Investigations of Salado Creek Saloon in 2019

Florence - 974 S Paterson Avenue

Allegations:

On 02/11/2019, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, accusing the bar of five counts of selling alcohol to a minor, two counts of selling alcohol to an intoxicated person, four counts of staff drinking on the job, one count of selling alcohol during prohibited hours, and two counts of gambling on the premises.

The ensuing investigation found evidence of five criminal violations (four counts of consuming alcohol during prohibited hours and one count of selling alcohol to a minor). Additionally, authorities found evidence of two administrative violations (consumption of alcohol during prohibited hours and selling alcohol to a minor). After handing down multiple unspecified penalties, the TABC closed the case on 03/01/2019.

A member of the Florence community reached out to the TABC on 03/11/2019, claiming that staff was drinking on the job, sold alcohol to a minor, sold alcohol during prohibited hours, in addition to alleging that gambling was allowed on the premises.

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 05/11/2019.

The TABC received a citizen complaint on 10/29/2019, claiming that staff was drinking on the job, sold alcohol to a minor, allowed alcohol to be removed from the premises, and allowed gambling.

As mentioned in the previous investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to back up most claims of wrongdoing. Since authorities had no such evidence in this investigation, they could not take any action, leading to their decision to close the case on 12/04/2019.

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.