Considering A Dram Shop Case Against The Aquarium On Sixth? Here's What You Need To Know
I've been holding bad bars accountable for over-serving alcohol for the last 30 years. After handling hundreds of cases, I've repeatedly seen how widespread irresponsible alcohol service is, not to mention 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 spend some of my time 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.
The Aquarium On Sixth is a bar located - as the name suggests - on Austin's famous 6th Street. Some of its unique features include a snake-shaped slide that guests can use to go from the second floor back down to the first, as well as large fishtanks that sit behind the bar. After recently undergoing extensive renovations, its popularity is soaring, but it has had a few run-ins with the TABC along the way. Between 2017 and 2018 alone, The Aquarium On Sixth had three separate TABC investigations into its alcohol service practices.
Almost all of the bars I have sued for their role in a wrongful death or injury have had a history of complaints claiming that they failed to follow the law. The more inquiries the TABC has made into a particular bar, the more concerned I become that it could one day play a part in a serious accident.
Note: Investigations are not evidence that a bar has broken the law. Investigators must have sufficient proof that there was a violation of TABC regulations in order to take legal action. Owing to the nature of alcohol service-related violations, that proof can often be difficult for authorities to come by. This article simply aims to relay publicly-available information about complaints filed against The Aquarium On Sixth to TABC.
TABC Investigations of The Aquarium On Sixth Between 2017 and 2018
Austin - 403 E 6th Street
Allegations:
The first complaint on our list came from a concerned citizen, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a minor on 03/29/2017. TABC followed up with an investigation shortly thereafter.
In order to take action against a bar for this kind of violation, TABC essentially needs either video footage of the incident or eyewitness testimony from one of its agents. In this particular case, authorities had neither. Unable to take any further action, they decided to close the case on 05/09/2017.
On 10/04/2017, a citizen complaint led to a second investigation. The report alleged two violations this time: selling alcohol to a minor and selling alcohol to an intoxicated patron.
TABC agents looked into the matter, but as in the first investigation, they failed to turn up any hard evidence. With no other course of action available, authorities ended their work on the case on 10/14/2017.
On 11/16/2018, a law enforcement officer claimed that the bar sold alcohol to a customer who was already drunk.
In spite of the fact that this claim came from a cop, the ensuing investigation did not have any more luck finding proof than the previous two. On 02/13/2019, authorities were once again forced to end their efforts without taking any action.
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.
