A tenant's nightmare has turned into a legal battle as a resident of Harris County, Texas, files a lawsuit against her landlord following a severe injury caused by the collapse of a brick wall. Maria Cazares Capetillo filed the complaint in the District Court of Harris County on February 28, 2025, accusing Teodora G. Garza of negligence and premises liability.
According to the lawsuit, Maria Cazares Capetillo was injured on July 3, 2023, while entering her rented home at 906 E Sunnyside Street in Houston. The plaintiff alleges that a low-rise brick wall collapsed on her, resulting in serious and permanent injuries. The complaint states that Teodora G. Garza, the owner of the property, failed to maintain the premises safely and neglected to address dangerous conditions that led to this incident. "Defendant owed Plaintiff a duty to exercise ordinary care to keep the premises in a reasonably safe condition," reads the petition.
The lawsuit accuses Garza of several acts of negligence: allowing dangerous conditions to exist, failing to inspect and rectify these hazards, and not providing adequate warnings about potential dangers. Capetillo claims that Garza's actions directly resulted in her physical injuries and seeks damages for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment and disfigurement, lost wages, and loss of earning capacity.
Capetillo is seeking monetary relief between $250,000 and $1 million under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 47(c). She also demands pre-judgment interest along with post-judgment interest on any awarded damages. Furthermore, she has requested a jury trial to resolve this matter.
Representing Maria Cazares Capetillo are attorneys from Huynh Law PLLC including Sarah Y-Nhi Huynh (SBN: 24092558), Pavel “Paul” Savinov (SBN: 24086698), Michael Alvarez (SBN: 24068754), Jay M. Taylor (SBN: 24053506), along with Hilda Leonor Sibrian (SBN: 24043920) from The Law Offices of Hilda L. Sibrian P.C. The case is identified as Cause No. 2025-13761 in Harris County's judicial system.