Houston Area Family Sues Hilton, Others after Man Dies Following Electrical Shock in Swimming Pool
Suit filed by Houston's Hicks Thomas, LLP, claims gross negligence
HOUSTON, Oct. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The family and girlfriend of a man who died after rescuing his younger brother from electrical shock in a Hilton hotel swimming pool have filed a lawsuit against the hotel and others, seeking damages for negligence of "epic proportions."
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Houston attorneys John B. Thomas and Stephen Loftin of Hicks Thomas, LLP in Harris County's 151st District Court.
Over Labor Day weekend, Raul Hernandez, his girlfriend Lorena Mendoza and her daughter Valeria were guests at the Hilton Houston Westchase Hotel located at 9999 Westheimer Road. In the late afternoon, the couple was joined by Raul's mother and her youngest son for an afternoon swim before dinner.
As the pool lights came on at dusk, Raul's 11-year-old brother cried out and suffered convulsions, floating helplessly near the pool lights at the deep end. His mother tried to help but was overcome herself. Raul came to the rescue of his brother, successfully hoisting the 11-year-old from the pool before being overcome from the electric shocks coming from the pool light fixture. Despite CPR at the scene, Raul could not be saved and was pronounced dead on Sept. 6 at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center.
"This tragedy so easily could have been prevented," says Mr. Thomas. "How could such a thing happen at a Hilton?"
The court filing says the death was due to "gross negligence of epic proportions." Attorneys say the hotel ignored the most basic safety standards, failing to install ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI's) which would have cut off power to pool lights in case of an electrical malfunction. In fact, the pool at Hilton Westchase has not met applicable electrical codes for years, and its contractor Brown Electric Inc. recently installed new electrical equipment without seeking the proper permits from the City of Houston, the lawsuit says.
"Not only has the family lost Raul, who was nearing graduation from college and seeing his dreams become reality," says Mr. Loftin, "they will live with the trauma from witnessing his awful death, as well as the guilt of not being able to save him."
Family members say they are seeking damages for Raul's death and trying to make sure such a preventable tragedy doesn't happen to other families.
Founded in 1997, Hicks Thomas, LLP, is a premier litigation firm representing plaintiffs and defendants across the nation. With offices in Houston, Dallas, and Sacramento, the firm provides in-depth experience in cases involving oil and gas, environmental, complex commercial, toxic tort, products liability, corporate governance, securities, banking, insurance coverage, transportation, trade secrets and business litigation. Visit the firm at http://www.hicks-thomas.com.
For more information on the lawsuit against the Hilton, please contact Kit Frieden at 713-383-0090, cell 832-289-9896 or [email protected].
SOURCE Hicks Thomas, LLP
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