A tragic case has emerged involving allegations of medical negligence leading to the death of a patient at a Houston healthcare facility. The lawsuit was filed by Eloisa Lerma and Ernesto Dominguez on September 30, 2024, in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, against Sun Houston, LLC, operating as Sun Behavioral Houston, along with several healthcare professionals.
The plaintiffs, Eloisa Lerma and Ernesto Dominguez, are suing on behalf of themselves and the estate of Roccio Dominguez. They allege that Roccio Dominguez received inadequate medical care from Sun Behavioral Houston and its staff, which led to his untimely death. According to the complaint, Roccio was admitted to the facility on September 27, 2022, under the care of Dr. Festus Uzokwe and Dr. Eileen Starbranch. During his stay, he experienced severe stomach pain but did not receive adequate medical intervention. Tragically, on October 4, 2022, Roccio's condition worsened significantly without proper treatment for his symptoms until he was transferred to a hospital where he passed away.
The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of multiple breaches in their duty of care. Specifically, they claim that Drs. Uzokwe and Starbranch failed to evaluate and treat Roccio's condition properly. Similarly accused are Zoe Green-Collette (a Family Nurse Practitioner), Vinnie Lam (a Registered Nurse), and Regina Pittman (also a Registered Nurse), who allegedly neglected their duties in diagnosing and managing Roccio's health issues effectively.
Eloisa Lerma and Ernesto Dominguez seek damages exceeding $1 million for survival claims related to physical pain endured by Roccio before his death and wrongful death claims due to loss of companionship and mental anguish suffered by his family members. They also demand punitive damages against Sun Behavioral Health for what they describe as gross negligence.
Represented by attorneys Jeff Musslewhite and Lori L. Brown from Brown & Musslewhite LLP, the plaintiffs have requested a jury trial to seek justice for what they consider preventable harm caused by substandard medical practices at Sun Behavioral Houston.
The case is being presided over in the 189th Judicial District Court under Case ID: 2024-67454.