An Orange County resident has filed a lawsuit after he sat on a bench at the South Texas State Fair and it collapsed.
Jacob and Nicole Willis filed suit against Bill Hames Shows and Young Men's Business League of Beaumont on July 23 in Jefferson County District Court.
Willis states that he was sitting on a bench at the Fair when the bench fell apart and collapsed, causing him to fall downward and backward.
Defendant YMBL contracted with the defendant Bill Hames Shows to provide the carnival, rides, shows and concessions, including the bench in question.
The defendants are accused of negligence for the selection, assembly, inspection, maintenance, and manufacture of the bench.
The Willises argue the defendants are negligent for failing to provide a suitable, safe seating area; for providing a bench that was subject to collapse and spontaneous disassembly; for providing a bench whose members and parts were not secured; and for failure to warn.
They are seeking damages for medical expenses, loss of earnings and earning capacity, physical incapacity, physical pain and mental anguish, physical impairment, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, loss of household services, spousal consortium, interest and court costs.
The petitioners are represented by Beaumont attorney Dana Timaeus of Timaeus & Rose.
Judge Gary Sanderson is assigned to the case.
Case No. B187-368