A Houston Health Department employee has filed a lawsuit alleging severe injuries due to the negligence of a service company and its president. Sharee Brown filed the complaint in Harris County District Court on September 5, 2024, against Star Service, Inc., and its president, Doug Fisher.
According to the court documents, on March 8, 2024, Brown was working at her office located at 8000 N. Stadium Drive when a panel and other debris fell from the ceiling above her, causing significant injuries. The workers performing the task were employees of Star Service, Inc., a company responsible for maintenance operations at the site. Brown claims that Doug Fisher's incompetence as President of Star Service directly contributed to her injuries. "The inexperience and incompetency of Defendant Doug Fisher... caused the accident made the basis of this suit," states the petition.
Brown alleges that both Star Service and Fisher failed to ensure a safe working environment by not properly inspecting or maintaining the worksite. She also accuses them of ignoring numerous complaints about worker incompetence prior to her incident. The plaintiff asserts that these failures are violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and constitute negligence per se.
The plaintiff is seeking $1.5 million in actual damages for medical expenses, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, physical disfigurement, physical impairment, and loss of opportunity. Additionally, she seeks exemplary damages amounting to $3 million due to what she describes as "an attitude of conscious indifference" by the defendants towards safety protocols.
Representing Sharee Brown is Thomas N. Thurlow from Thomas N. Thurlow & Associates P.C., while Judge Nelson Cuero presides over the case with Case ID 2024-59416.