Essena Farr has filed a negligence and premises liability complaint against Youth Educational Services, Inc., doing business as Family Thrift Center. The complaint was lodged in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, on May 16, 2024.
According to the court documents, Essena Farr alleges that she suffered bodily injuries due to a slip-and-fall incident at the Family Thrift Center located at 5110 Galveston Road, Houston, TX. The incident occurred on November 13, 2023. Farr claims that upon entering the store as an invitee for the purpose of purchasing items, she slipped on a watery substance near the entrance. Despite there being a mat near the door, it was not positioned correctly to ensure safe footing or absorb water effectively. Additionally, no wet floor sign was present despite rainy weather conditions outside.
Farr reported the incident immediately to a cashier who appeared unable to speak English. She then sought assistance from other employees who apologized and collected her information for further review of security footage. Farr contends that the watery substance in a high-traffic area posed an unreasonable risk which should have been addressed by the store's management through proper inspection and maintenance protocols.
The plaintiff asserts that Family Thrift Center failed in its duty to maintain a safe environment for its customers by not adequately inspecting and cleaning the premises or providing necessary warnings about potential hazards. The lawsuit outlines two primary causes of action: negligence and premises liability. Under these claims, Farr argues that Family Thrift Center had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition but did not take reasonable measures to mitigate it.
As relief, Essena Farr seeks monetary damages exceeding $250,000 but not more than $1 million for medical expenses (both past and future), physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of earnings and earning capacity, fear of future disease or condition, and costs related to medical monitoring and prevention in the future. Additionally, she requests prejudgment interest pursuant to section 304.102 of the Texas Finance Code.
The case is being handled by attorneys Shepalle Lake from Morehead Law Group PLLC and Myrecia Donaldson from MD Legal Group PLLC. It has been assigned Case ID: 2024-312/0 with Judge Christopher Matthews presiding over proceedings in Court 190.