A Houston resident has taken legal action against a prominent healthcare provider, alleging negligence that resulted in personal injury. Karen Laws filed a complaint on October 18, 2024, in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, against Memorial Hermann Health System, doing business as Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center.
The lawsuit stems from an incident on November 14, 2022, when Laws visited the medical center to see her daughter. During her visit, she slipped and fell on a pool of liquid on the floor. The plaintiff claims that this constituted a dangerous condition and accuses the defendant of having actual knowledge of the hazard without taking necessary precautions to warn or protect visitors like herself. According to Laws' petition, "Defendant failed to warn Plaintiff of the dangerous condition and also failed to make the unreasonably dangerous condition safe," leading to her injuries.
Laws asserts that Memorial Hermann's negligence is evident through multiple failures: maintaining safe premises, correcting hazardous conditions, providing adequate warnings about potential dangers, and properly training their staff. The plaintiff also raises concerns about negligent hiring practices and inadequate supervision and training of employees responsible for maintenance. The complaint highlights how these oversights directly contributed to her accident and subsequent injuries.
In terms of relief sought from the court, Laws is pursuing monetary compensation exceeding $250,000 but less than $1 million for damages including past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disability or impairment, disfigurement, lost earnings, and other related costs. She emphasizes that these damages were proximately caused by the defendant's negligence.
Representing Karen Laws are attorneys Andrew M. Bivona, Asad S. Lakhani, and Sean M. Patterson from Bivona Law PLLC based in Houston. The case has been assigned Case ID 2024-72676 with Judge Nelson Cuero presiding over proceedings in Harris County's 11th Judicial District Court.