Considering A Dram Shop Case Against The Drunk Armadillo Sports Bar? 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.
The Drunk Armadillo Sports Bar is located in Raymondville, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted a significant amount of attention from the TABC due to several complaints alleging liquor law violations. In just 2018 and 2019 alone, the TABC conducted no fewer than six investigations into alcohol service practices at the The Drunk Armadillo Sports Bar.
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 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 The Drunk Armadillo Sports Bar for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of The Drunk Armadillo Sports Bar Between 2018 and 2019
Raymondville - 305 S 7th Street
Allegations:
On 07/09/2018, law enforcement contacted the TABC and alleged that the bar failed to report a breach of the peace (typically a fight).
Authorities followed up soon after with an investigation. 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. In this particular instance, authorities had neither. As a result, the case came to a close on 09/07/2018.
Law enforcement filed a complaint on 10/30/2018, alleging that a breach of the peace took place and that the bar failed to report it.
As in the previous case, TABC agents were unable to turn up any hard proof of wrongdoing. Unable to take any further action, they decided to close the case on 11/17/2018.
A member of the Raymondville community reached out to the TABC on 12/17/2018, charging the bar with selling alcohol to a minor.
The ensuing investigation was unsuccessful at uncovering sufficient evidence of a violation for authorities to take action. As a result, investigators wrapped up their work on the case on 01/11/2019.
On 01/31/2019, the TABC received a law enforcement complaint that charged that the bar failed to report a breach of the peace.
An investigation followed, but without video evidence, there is not much the TABC can do. Even the word of a police officer is not considered sufficient proof for the TABC. On 03/28/2019, investigators brought this case to a close without further action.
Law enforcement again contacted the TABC on 08/14/2019, once more alleging that the bar failed to report a breach of the peace.
Just as in all of the other case, authorities had no access to video evidence and as a result could not determine the veracity of the claim. On 09/05/2019, the TABC terminated the investigation.
A staff member got in touch with the TABC on 12/03/2019, with yet another claim that a breach of the peace occurred. While it might seem strange that a staff member would be the source of a TABC complaint, employees are in fact legally obligated to report any violations they see on the job.
Investigators looked into the claim, but as per usual, there was no video evidence to corroborate it. Having no hard proof of any wrongdoing, authorities closed the case on 02/18/2020.
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.
