Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Tejano's Club 97? Here's What You Need To Know

My firm has sued more bars for liquor law violations than any other in Texas. In my over 30 years of experience, I have repeatedly seen just how serious the consequences can be when bars over-serve alcohol. While the public might see or hear about a drunk driving accident from time to time, it's much less common to hear about the role that irresponsible bars play in those accidents. One of my goals is to raise awareness about the extent of this problem. To this end, I dedicate some of my time to investigating Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission complaint records and reporting what I find here on my website. If you think you might have a dram shop (liquor liability) claim and would like to learn about how to proceed, please call me at (855) 326-0000.

Tejano's Club 97 is a night club located in Lubbock, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2015 and 2016 alone, authorities conducted five separate investigations into the club'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 Tejano's Club 97 for possible criminal or administrative violations.

TABC Investigations of Tejano's Club 97 Between 2015 and 2016

Lubbock - 5401 Ave Q South Suite C

Allegations:

Law enforcement contacted the TABC on 01/26/2015, alleging that a breach of the peace (typically a fight) occurred and that the bar failed to report it (a separate violation in itself).

Authorities looked into the matter shortly thereafter. Even when the source of a complaint is a police officer, 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 03/10/2015.

A second law enforcement complaint reached the TABC on 03/12/2015, claiming that a breach of the peace took place.

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 04/27/2015.

Yet another law enforcement complaint, filed on 04/27/2015, claimed that the bar permitted customers to consume alcohol during prohibited hours.

Upon investigation, authorities were able to confirm the allegation, which they classified as an administrative violation. After issuing a written warning, the TABC closed the case on 06/17/2015.

The TABC received a law enforcement complaint on 01/25/2016, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a drunk customer.

TABC agents conducted an inquiry, but due to a lack of video evidence, they could not determine the veracity of the claim. As a result, investigators could not take any further action, leading to their decision to close the case on 02/25/2016.

On 07/01/2016, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to a minor and allowed the possession of drugs on the premises.

While the ensuing investigation failed to find any evidence to support the initial allegations, it did manage to determine that the bar failed to report a breach of the peace, which authorities classified as an administrative violation. After issuing a written warning, the TABC concluded its work on the case on 08/19/2016.

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.