SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

This Just In

Recent civil filings in Jefferson County District Courts, April

April 20
Jefferson County vs. City of Port Arthur
PA -- Tom Rugg, J -- pending
For almost three years, Jefferson County has been trying to collect almost $200,000 from the city of Port Arthur for housing the city's Class A and B misdemeanor and some felony prisoners in the county jail. The county claims all other Jefferson County cities have paid for the service according to contract, except for Port Arthur. City officials have said they do not owe the county the amount in question.
Case No. A179-146

Gary Phillips vs. Port Arthur Independent School District
PA -- Dru Montgomery, J -- pending
Gary Phillips, a teacher with a 23 year history in the Port Arthur Independent School District, filed a suit against his former employer claiming the district terminated him because of his age. The plaintiff says under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act, he is seeking damages for lost wages, emotional pain and mental anguish as well as exemplary and punitive damages.
Case No. E179-149

George Oliver Tanner vs. Exxon Mobil Corp. et al
PA -- Keith Hyde, J -- Donald Floyd
George Oliver Tanner of Harris County accuses 39 chemical companies of maliciously killing his father with benzene. Tanner filed suit in Jefferson County Circuit Court April 23, claiming Jimmie Wayne Tanner died of acute myelogenous leukemia due to benzene exposure. According to the suit Tanner cleaned tanks and managed spills as a contractor for Mobil, Gulf, Texaco, Unocal, Fine and DuPont in Jefferson County.
Case No. E179-152

Shirley Jeanis vs. Chevron Phillips Chemical et al.
PA -- Tina Bradley, J -- Bob Wortham
Alfred Jeanis worked 38 years and lived 26 years more, and now his widow and son seek damages for his untimely death. Shirley Jeanis of Port Arthur and Jimmy Jeanis of Dallas sued 28 companies in Jefferson County Circuit Court April 20, claiming they exposed Alfred Jeanis to benzene while he worked as a welder and pipefitter. Attorney Tina Bradley, of the Law Offices of Herschel Hobson in Beaumont, wrote that Jeanis died of acute myelogenous leukemia in 2006.
Case No. A179-147

April 23
Gary and Fern Congram vs. Chevron USA et al
PA -- Keith Hyde, J -- Milton Shuffield
Senior citizens Gary and Fern Congram are suing Chevron U.S.A and numerous other petrochemical companies for exposing Gary, Fern's husband, to benzene. Cary Congram worked as an engineering contractor for 43 years and has been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. Plaintiff alleges the 29 companies named as defendants knew the benzene was hazardous yet negligently allowed workers to be exposed to the chemical.
Case No. D179-156

Encarnacion Perez Jr. vs. United Scaffolding Inc.
PA -- Christopher Dean, J -- Bob Wortham
Perez was dismantling a scaffold while working at Total Petrochemicals in 2006 when a scaffold runner gave way causing another worker to fall on Perez and knock him from the scaffold. Plaintiff alleges the scaffold was improperly constructed by defendant. He seeks damages for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of earning capacity and medical expenses.
Case No. A179-159

City of Port Arthur vs. Juan DeAnda
PA -- Mark Sokolow, J -- Gary Sanderson
The city of Port Arthur is suing Juan DeAnda (doing business as Arrow Waste) for dumping his trash in the city's landfill and refusing to pay the $178,040 bill for services provided. The city's suit says DeAnda, a Houstonian, submitted an application for landfill services on April 2, 2006. The city itemized DeAnda's trash and sent him a bill. Eight months later, the bill remained unpaid, so the city made a written demand for payment but heard no response.
Case No. B179-154

Patrick Gallagher vs. Allstate Lloyd's et al
PA -- Hart Green, J -- Milton Shuffield
A Beaumont property owner, Patrick Gallagher, filed two suits against Allstate for mishandling claims on residences damaged by Hurricane Rita. Gallagher alleges that since at least 1992 Allstate Texas Lloyd's has undervalued and wrongfully denied claims in return for increased profit.
Case No. B179-163, B179-164

Wells Fargo Bank NA vs City of Beaumont
PA -- Steven Leyh, J -- Gary Sanderson
Wells Fargo Bank applied in Jefferson County Circuit Court for an injunction to keep the city of Beaumont from demolishing a house Hurricane Rita damaged. Before a judge could hear the application, the city tore down the house.Wells Fargo had offered to post bond to protect the city's interests while the bank improved the property, but the swift demolition canceled the need for any bond.
Case No. B179-151

April 24
Miguel Martinez and Mercedes Zepeda vs. Tex-Mex Grocers and Savatri Ramdath.
P -- Galvin Kennedy and Kevin Chavez, J -- Gary Sanderson
An exploding oven at Tex-Mex Grocers threw one employee 15 feet across a room. The injured baker, Miguel Martinez, and a fellow employee, Mercedes Zepeda, have filed a lawsuit against the grocer and Savatri Ramdath. The pair are also suing for unpaid overtime.
Case No. B179-168

Paul Martin vs. A.O. Smith Corp., et al
PA -- Bryan Blevins of Provost Umphrey, J -- Milton Shuffield
Provost Umphrey has found another lifelong smoker to sue the A.O. Smith Corp., along with 42 other major corporations, for distributing products containing asbestos throughout Jefferson County. This is the third case of its kind in the last 30 days.
Case No. D179-167