Parents sue carriage company after horse bit boy

A Jefferson County couple has sued a Galveston County recreational transportation provider, alleging gross negligence.

Lauren Pruitt and James Pruitt of Groves, also on behalf of their minor child, filed a lawsuit Feb. 19 in Galveston County District Court against Kemah Carriages, citing negligence.

According to the suit, the family took a horse-drawn carriage ride offered by the defendant Feb. 22, 2014, on the Kemah Boardwalk. After the ride, the suit states, the horse reached down and bit their 3-month-old child’s left foot while she was in her carrier. The infant’s toes were crushed, the complaint says, and the parents brought her to the hospital for treatment.

Kemah Carriages was negligent by failing to protect innocent people from the horse’s attack, the suit states, and the company’s conduct involved a high degree of risk.

The Pruitts seek between $100,000 and $200,000 for: exemplary damages; ongoing medical expenses; lost earnings; disfigurement on the child’s part; attorney fees; expenses; and costs. They are represented by Provost Umphrey Law Firm of Beaumont, and attorney David Wilson of Chad T. Wilson Law Center in Houston.

Galveston County District Court 15-CV-0162