HOUSTON – Today, the 14th Court of Appeals affirmed that Fort Bend County has governmental immunity from lawsuit brought by man who claims he slipped and fell while he was an inmate.
Christopher Branch brought the lawsuit back in July 2018.
Two years earlier, Branch claimed that while he was an inmate at Fort Bend County jail the slipped and fell on a puddle of water resulting from a burst pipe, causing him to fall on the hard concrete floor.
The county asserted a general denial and contended that it had governmental immunity. A plea to the jurisdiction was also filed.
A trial court granted the plea and the 14th Court affirmed the ruling on appeal.
“Because the record contains no evidence that the County was subjectively aware of any fault, as ultimately alleged by Branch, in producing or contributing to his claimed injury, we reject Branch’s argument that the evidence demonstrates the County had actual notice of his claim,” the opinion states.
Appeals case No. 14-19-00477-CV