Teodoro Zavala Lopez has filed a negligence complaint against Melvin Chuc, Jocelyn Castro, First Houston Acceptance, and Summerset Landing Condominiums Homeowner’s Association, Inc. The complaint was filed on May 20, 2024, in the Harris County District Court.
The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred on September 6, 2023. According to the complaint, Zavala Lopez was working on cleaning trash around the defendants' property when he was attacked by a dog owned by Chuc and Castro. The dog was allegedly unleashed and not restrained at the time of the attack. Zavala Lopez claims that this incident resulted in severe personal injuries for which he continues to incur medical expenses. He asserts that the defendants' negligence directly caused his injuries.
Zavala Lopez accuses Chuc and Castro of failing to keep their dog on a leash and not properly training or restraining it. He also alleges that they were aware of the dog's dangerous propensities but did nothing to mitigate the risk it posed. Additionally, he holds First Houston Acceptance and Summerset Landing Condominiums Homeowner’s Association responsible for not ensuring safety measures were in place to prevent such incidents on their premises.
The plaintiff is seeking monetary relief ranging from $250,000 to $1,000,000 for medical expenses incurred and anticipated future costs. This includes compensation for physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of earnings capacity, disfigurement, loss of consortium, and household services both past and future. Zavala Lopez is also asking for exemplary damages due to what he describes as gross negligence on the part of the defendants.
Representing Teodoro Zavala Lopez is Kristin Suniga from Marcos & Associates P.C., while no attorneys have been listed yet for the defendants. The case has been assigned Case ID 2024-31114 and will be heard in the 295th Judicial District Court under Judge Tianni Williams.