Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Spire Night Club? Here's What You Need To Know
I've been suing irresponsible bars for over-serving alcohol for 30 years. My experience handling hundreds of cases has repeatedly shown me just how many bars fail to follow alcohol service regulations, as well as the tragedies that all too often result. 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 reckless bars play in those accidents. In order to call more attention to this issue, I dedicate a portion of my time to reviewing the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's 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, don't hesitate to call me at (855) 326-0000.
Spire Night Club is located in Houston, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2018 and 2019, authorities conducted four separate investigations into the club's alcohol service practices.
In my experience, it is 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 cause an accident.
Note: Investigations are not proof of wrongdoing. However, if authorities investigate and fail to find evidence, 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 Spire Night Club for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Spire Night Club Between 2018 and 2019
Houston - 1720 Main Street
Allegations:
Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 03/01/2018, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person, a minor, and during prohibited hours.
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 04/29/2018 .
On 06/20/2018, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, alleging that the bar sold alcohol during prohibited hours.
An investigation ensued, but as mentioned in the previous complaint summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to back up most allegations of wrongdoing. Since they had no such evidence in this investigation, they could not take any action, resulting in their decision to close the case on 08/05/2018.
A member of the Houston community reached out to the TABC on 09/28/2018, claiming that the bar sold alcohol during prohibited hours.
Upon investigation, authorities were able to find evidence to support the claim, which they classified as an administrative violation. After handing down an unspecified penalty, the TABC closed the case on 11/17/2018.
A citizen complaint, filed on 09/03/2019, brought the TABC back to investigate an allegation that the bar sold alcohol to a patron who was already intoxicated.
TABC agents launched an inquiry, which remained open for three months, but it ultimately failed to produce any evidence to back up the claim. With no other course of action available, investigators decided to end their work on 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.
