A Houston woman is suing several prominent organizations, including a major sports team, for injuries she sustained at a well-known stadium. Irma Hernandez filed the complaint in Harris County District Court on August 1, 2024, against ASM Global LLC, ASM Global Parent Inc., SMG, Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, NRG Park aka NRG Stadium, NRG Energy Inc., and Houston NFL Holdings LP d/b/a The Houston Texans.
According to the lawsuit, Hernandez was injured on August 12, 2022, while working at NRG Park. She claims she fell through an unbarricaded and unmarked open space left after a seat was removed from the stadium to make room for a DJ booth. "The condition was not open and obvious," Hernandez asserts in her filing. She alleges that the defendants failed to place warnings or barricades around the hazardous area immediately after her fall. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of negligence and gross negligence for creating and failing to remedy this dangerous condition.
Hernandez's petition outlines several allegations against the defendants. She contends that they had a legal duty to ensure the property was safe for invitees like herself but failed to do so. Specifically, she claims that removing a seat created a dangerous drop-off which led to her injuries. The lawsuit states that "Defendants knew or should have known of the dangerous condition and failed to make it safe or warn Plaintiff." Hernandez argues that these actions were not only negligent but also constituted gross negligence because they involved an extreme degree of risk.
The plaintiff is seeking monetary relief between $250,000 and $1 million for various damages including physical pain, mental anguish, loss of earnings, medical expenses, physical impairment, and disfigurement. Hernandez also seeks punitive damages due to what she describes as the defendants' conscious indifference to her safety.
Representing Irma Hernandez is attorney Rafael Quesada from RQ Law Group PLLC. The case has been assigned Case ID 2024-48864 in Harris County District Court with Judge Marilyn Burgess presiding.