Considering A Dram Shop Case Against The Loft Pizza Pub? 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.
The Loft Pizza Pub is located in Whitewright, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. In 2016 alone, authorities conducted four separate investigations into the restaurant'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 Loft Pizza Pub for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of The Loft Pizza Pub in 2016
Whitewright - 107 W Grand Street
Allegations:
On 06/16/2016, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person and allowed an alcoholic beverage to be removed from the premises.
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 07/28/2016.
A member of the Whitewright community reached out to the TABC on 08/19/2016, claiming once again that the bar sold alcohol to a drunk customer and permitted the removal of an alcoholic beverage from the premises.
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 10/10/2016.
The TABC received a citizen complaint on 10/05/2016, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to an intoxicated person.
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 11/18/2016.
The next citizen complaint to reach the TABC came on 12/15/2016, alleging that the bar sold alcohol to a drunk customer.
An investigation ensued, but authorities were ultimately unable to produce sufficient evidence of a violation to take any action. Left with no other option, the TABC concluded its work on the case on 02/02/2017.
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.
