Considering A Dram Shop Case Against Therapy? 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.
Therapy is a bar located in Houston, Texas. In recent years, it has attracted the attention of the TABC due to allegations of liquor law violations. Between 2019 and 2020 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 Therapy for possible criminal or administrative violations.
TABC Investigations of Therapy Between 2019 and 2020
Houston - 4105 Washington Avenue
Allegations:
On 03/15/2019, a concerned citizen filed a complaint with the TABC, alleging that a breach of the peace (typically a fight) occurred and that the bar sold alcohol to both a minor and an intoxicated person.
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 04/23/2019.
A member of the Houston community reached out to the TABC on 04/17/2019, alleging that a breach of the peace took place and that the bar sold alcohol to both a minor and a drunk customer.
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 04/22/2019.
The TABC received another citizen complaint on 06/20/2019, claiming that the bar sold alcohol to a minor.
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 08/18/2019.
Yet another citizen complaint, filed on 05/18/2020, brought the TABC back to investigate allegations that the bar sold alcohol to both a minor and an intoxicated person.
An investigation ensued, but authorities were ultimately unable to uncover sufficient evidence of a violation to take any action. Consequently, the TABC chose to conclude its work on the case on 06/19/2020.
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.
