A week after Hurricane Ike ravaged Southeast Texas, Vivian Gibbs went out for a walk and tripped and fell over a downed utility pole.
The Beaumont resident claims Entergy and the Hydaker-Wheatlake Co. are responsible for her injures and filed a lawsuit against the two companies May 13 in Jefferson County District Court.
In her suit, Gibbs says she fell over the downed pole on Sept. 25, 2008, only a week after Ike inflicted billions of dollars worth of damage to Texas' Gulf Coast. Thousands of utility poles were downed by the storm.
"The utility pole is owned by Entergy … and HWC performed work on the pole," the suit states. "Gibbs was injured when she fell over the fallen utility pole, which obstructed a sidewalk."
Gibbs further alleges she was in no way negligent for tripping over the pole and that her injures "were caused solely by the wrongful" acts of the defendants.
She is suing for past and future medical expenses, pain, mental anguish, lost wages and impairment, plus attorney's fees.
Gibbs is represented by attorney Timothy Ferguson.
The case has been assigned to Judge Gary Sanderson, 60th Judicial District.
Case No. B184-068