Considering A Dram Shop Case Against The Horny Toad Pub and Grub? 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.
The Horny Toad Pub and Grub is a bar and grill located in Snyder, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted a substantial amount of attention from the TABC due to a number of allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2016 and 2018 alone, authorities conducted four 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 The Horny Toad Pub and Grub for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of The Horny Toad Pub and Grub Between 2016 and 2018
Snyder - 2502 Ave R
Allegations:
On 02/29/2016, the TABC received a complaint from a concerned citizen, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a minor as well as an intoxicated person, and permitted the possession of drugs on the premises.
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 04/19/2016.
A citizen complaint, filed on 05/04/2016, accused the bar of selling alcohol to a drunk patron.
As mentioned in the previous investigation summary, the TABC relies heavily on video footage to back up most claims of wrongdoing. Since they had no such evidence in this case, they could not take any action, resulting in their decision to close the case on 06/17/2016.
Law enforcement filed a complaint on 08/17/2017, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person.
Due to a lack of video evidence, authorities could not determine the veracity of the claim and thus could not take any action. With no other option available, they closed the case on 10/03/2017.
A second law enforcement complaint, placed on 05/09/2018, alleged that the bar sold alcohol to a drunk person and that a breach of the peace (typically a fight) occurred, which the bar failed to report.
Just as in the prior investigations, authorities could not substantiate the allegations due to a lack of hard evidence. On 07/17/2018, investigators concluded their work without any further 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.
