A couple from Mississippi has filed a lawsuit against the owners of a hotel in Texas, alleging negligence after a slip-and-fall incident left one of them with serious injuries. Virginia Cuevas and her husband, Armond Cuevas, lodged their complaint on November 14, 2024, in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, targeting Rina G. Patel, G.L. Patel, Mahul G. Patel, and Mark Enterprise LLC, which operates as Red Roof Inn & Suites Houston-Humble/IAH Airport.
The case revolves around an unfortunate event that occurred on October 2, 2024. Virginia Cuevas was walking along the sidewalk from her room at the Red Roof Inn & Suites to visit a friend when she tripped over an uneven concrete slab. The sidewalk had a lip measuring between one to one and a half inches high, causing her to fall and sustain severe injuries. As per the court documents filed by the plaintiffs' legal team at Apffel Legal PLLC, this accident resulted in significant physical pain and suffering for Virginia Cuevas.
The plaintiffs argue that the defendants were negligent in maintaining safe premises for their guests. The lawsuit outlines several points of alleged negligence: creating or failing to rectify the hazardous condition on their property; neglecting to inspect and discover such dangers; not warning guests about these conditions; and failing to ensure a reasonably safe environment for business invitees like Virginia Cuevas.
Asserting that these acts of negligence directly led to Virginia's injuries, the Cuevases are seeking compensation for medical expenses incurred due to the accident and anticipated future costs related to ongoing medical care. They are also claiming damages for Virginia's pain and suffering—both past and future—as well as mental anguish and physical impairment resulting from her injuries.
In addition to these claims, Armond Cuevas is pursuing compensation for loss of consortium—a legal term referring to the deprivation of benefits of a family relationship due to injuries—and loss of household services previously provided by his wife.
The plaintiffs have specified that they seek monetary relief exceeding $250,000 but not more than $1 million. However, they reserve the right to amend this amount based on further evidence presented during proceedings.
Representing Virginia and Armond Cuevas are attorneys Darrell A. Apffel, D. Blake Apffel, and Jessica Clark from Apffel Legal PLLC based in Galveston, Texas. The case has been assigned Case ID 2024-80511 in the 189th Judicial District Court under Judge Gerardo Perez's jurisdiction.