Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, operating as AT&T Texas, has filed a lawsuit against Joslin Construction Texas, LLC, alleging negligence that resulted in significant damage to its telecommunications infrastructure. The complaint was lodged on March 27, 2025, in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, accusing Joslin Construction of causing damage during excavation activities.
According to the petition filed by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company dba AT&T Texas, the incident occurred on or about April 17, 2023. The plaintiff claims that while Joslin Construction was performing excavation work near FM 1980 and W. Lake Houston Parkway in Humble, Harris County, Texas, their equipment struck and damaged buried telephone cables and conduits belonging to AT&T. Despite a locate ticket being submitted by Joslin Construction to identify the presence of these facilities before commencing work, it is alleged that the company failed to adhere to the marked locations during their operations.
The plaintiff asserts that Joslin Construction's actions were negligent due to several failures: not taking reasonable care to protect existing buried infrastructure; not using acceptable methods such as hand-digging or non-invasive techniques to expose these facilities; and disregarding the locate marks indicating where AT&T's cables were situated. As a result of these oversights and negligent practices, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company contends that its property sustained substantial damage.
In addition to negligence claims, the lawsuit also suggests that Joslin Construction’s actions constitute a violation of property rights for which they are strictly liable. Southwestern Bell Telephone Company is seeking $10,918.20 in actual damages for repairs already conducted on their telecommunications facilities. They are also pursuing pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as prescribed by law along with court costs and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The legal representation for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company is provided by Michael F Archer from VACCA BE ARCHER PC based in San Antonio, Texas. The case is presided over in the 61st Judicial District Court of Harris County under Case ID 2025320547.