Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Shooters Bar? 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.
Shooters Bar is located in Victoria, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted a substantial amount of attention from the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. In 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 Shooters Bar for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Shooters Bar in 2019
Victoria - 4705 Navarro Street, Suite 100
Allegations:
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 03/05/2019, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person.
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 05/02/2019.
On 06/04/2019, law enforcement filed a second complaint, again accusing the bar of selling alcohol to an intoxicated patron.
Upon investigating, authorities found evidence to support the claim, which they classified as both an administrative and criminal violation. For some reason, the TABC decided not to hand down any punishment, instead choosing to close the case on 07/22/2019.
A third law enforcement complaint came on 09/03/2019, once again alleging the bar sold alcohol to a patron who was already drunk.
Even when the source of a complaint is a police officer, the TABC still requires corroborating evidence before it can take action. Due to a lack of video footage, authorities could not determine the veracity of the claim, leading to their decision to end the investigation on 10/16/2019.
The TABC received a further complaint from law enforcement on 11/21/2019, accusing the bar once more of selling alcohol to an intoxicated customer.
As mentioned in the previous investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video evidence to back up most claims of wrongdoing. Since authorities had none in this investigation, they could not take any action and thus decided to close the case on 12/23/2019.
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.
