Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Silver Fox Lounge? 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.
Silver Fox Lounge is located in Brownwood, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted a substantial amount of attention from the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2015 and 2020, authorities conducted six 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 Silver Fox Lounge for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Silver Fox Lounge Between 2015 and 2020
Brownwood - 515 E Commerce Street
Allegations:
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 07/17/2015, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a patron who was already intoxicated.
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 10/01/2015.
A second law enforcement complaint came on 11/03/2016, alleging again that the bar sold alcohol to a drunk patron.
An investigation ensued, but authorities ultimately failed to find any hard evidence of wrongdoing. Unable to take any action, the TABC closed the case on 01/03/2017.
On 03/17/2017, law enforcement filed yet another complaint, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a patron who was already over the limit.
While authorities were unable to prove the initial allegation, they were able to determine that staff was drinking on the job, which they classified as both an administrative and criminal violation. After handing down an unspecified penalty, the TABC brought the case to a close on 05/05/2017.
Law enforcement filed a complaint on 09/19/2017, claiming that staff was drinking on the job.
As mentioned in the first 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 10/17/2017.
The TABC received yet another law enforcement complaint on 09/18/2018, alleging once again that staff was drinking on the job.
Due to a lack of video evidence, authorities could not determine the veracity of the allegation. As a result, they were left with no choice but to close the case, which they did on 11/26/2018.
A member of the Brownwood community reached out to the TABC on 01/08/2020, claiming that staff was drinking on the job.
As in the previous investigation, authorities could not find any evidence to support this claim, which left them unable to take any action. On 02/02/2020, they brought the 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.
