Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Shiner Park? Here's What You Need To Know
My firm has handled more liquor liability (dram shop) cases than anyone else in Texas. With over 30 years of practice behind me, I can attest to just how many bars regularly fail to adhere to alcohol service laws, particularly when it comes to their obligation to refuse service to patrons who are already drunk. While the public might see or hear about a drunk driving accident from time to time, it is much less common for it to hear about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. In order to increase people's awareness of this problem, I dedicate a portion of my time to researching the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's complaint database 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.
Shiner Park is a dance hall located in College Station, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC for allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, authorities conducted four 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 Shiner Park for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Shiner Park Between 2018 and 2019
College Station - 217 University Drive
Allegations:
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 03/27/2018, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a minor and an intoxicated person.
Upon investigation, authorities found evidence to back up the second claim, which they classified as both administrative and criminal violations. For some reason, the TABC decided not to hand down any punishment for the violations, choosing instead to close the case on 05/24/2018.
A member of the College Station community filed a complaint with the TABC on 06/06/2018, accusing the bar of two counts of selling alcohol to a minor, two counts of selling alcohol to an intoxicated patron, one count of allowing staff to sell drugs, and one count of staff selling drugs on the premises.
The investigation that followed was only able to prove that the bar permitted a minor to possess or consume alcohol, which the TABC classified as an administrative violation. After handing down an unspecified penalty, the TABC closed the case on 10/10/2019.
Law enforcement reached out to the TABC once again on 06/11/2019, this time accusing the bar of two counts of selling alcohol to a minor and two counts of staff drinking on the job.
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 08/08/2019.
On 11/12/2019, the TABC received another law enforcement complaint, this time alleging that the bar failed to report a breach of the peace.
After looking into the matter, authorities were able to determine that the bar did in fact fail to report a breach of the peace. For some reason, investigators decided not to punish the bar and instead chose to issue a written warning. On 11/19/2019, the TABC brought this case to a close.
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.
