Office employees who love to congregate around the water cooler may want to look down from time to time or they just may end up on their backside.
Dora Rodriguez, an employee of the University of Texas Medical Branch, slipped and fell as she walked past a Sparkletts Bottled Water Co.-maintained water fountain.
She claims Sparkletts negligently failed to maintain its cooler and filed suit against the company Oct. 13 in Jefferson County District Court.
"Dora Rodriguez … was performing work for UTMB … in Beaumont on March 21, 2008," the suit says.
"As plaintiff was performing said work, she slipped on a puddle of water which accumulated from a leaking water fountain maintained by defendant, causing her to fall and injure herself."
In her suit, Rodriguez alleges Sparkletts was negligent in failing to inspect the water fountain and train its employees.
"Dora Rodriguez suffered serious personal injuries to her body generally as a direct and proximate result of the defendant's negligence," the suit says.
The plaintiff is suing for past and future medical expenses, mental anguish and lost wages, plus all court costs.
She is represented by attorney Trent Bond of the Reaud, Morgan & Quinn law firm.
The case has been assigned to Judge Gary Sanderson of the 60th Judicial District.
Case No. B182-527