A severe incident at a Houston apartment complex has led to a lawsuit seeking over $1 million in damages. On August 23, 2024, Mercy Perlaza Caicedo filed a complaint in Harris County District Court against WGA Legacy Properties 4, LLC d/b/a Residence at Westchase and WGA Legacy Property Management, LLC.
According to the court filing, on August 7, 2024, Ms. Caicedo was using a gas grill in the pool area of the Residence at Westchase apartments when an explosion occurred. The fireball severely burned her legs, chest, and arms. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants failed to properly maintain and inspect the gas grill and did not implement adequate safety measures or warnings for invitees like herself. "Defendants breached their duty of ordinary care by failing to inspect the premises and make it safe for reasonable use," states the petition.
Ms. Caicedo's legal team argues that the negligence of WGA Legacy Properties and its management company directly resulted in her injuries. They claim that both entities were aware or should have been aware of the potential hazards posed by the gas grill but chose not to act on this knowledge. Furthermore, they assert that these failures constitute gross negligence due to an extreme degree of risk involved and conscious indifference to safety.
The plaintiff is seeking various forms of relief including compensation for past and future mental anguish, physical pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages or earning capacity, loss of household services, enjoyment of life, disfigurement and scarring. Additionally, she requests pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as allowed by law.
Representing Ms. Caicedo are attorneys Muhammad S. Aziz from Abraham Watkins Nichols Agosto Aziz & Stogner and Hilda L. Sibrian from The Law Offices of Hilda L. Sibrian. The case is being overseen by Judge Gerardo Perez under Case ID 2024-56030 in Harris County's 234th Judicial District Court.