January 27, 2010
Galveston woman sues cleaning company over fall at hospital
GALVESTON - A Galveston woman who took her daughter to the city's University of Texas Medical Branch for treatment ended up with injuries herself. She is suing a cleaning company under contract with the 120-year-old institution for approximately $75,000.
Leticia Thompson, who is also known as Leticia Allen, claims she slipped and fell after stepping on a reportedly wet doormat while leaving UTMB's Harborside Trauma Center on Jan. 17, 2008.
Her suit against Sodexo and Sodexo Inc. says the defendants "negligently allowed the mat/floor to become slippery and dangerous" thus resulted in the plaintiff's fall at the facility.
"Specifically, while Thompson was walking through the building, she slipped and fell when the mat slipped out from under her," it states.
The case was filed Jan. 19 in Galveston County District Court.
The plaintiff says an employee of the defendant had been power washing around the doormat and had allowed water to get under the mat.
"The condition of the floor and/or mat was extremely slippery and dangerous," the original petition says.
"The defendants' agents, servants, and/or employees knew of or, in the exercise of ordinary care, should have known of the existence of the dangerous condition of the water under the mat."
The suit does not describe the nature or extent of the bodily injury Thompson claims to have sustained.
She claims to also have suffered pain and suffering and mental anguish because of the alleged incident.
UTMB is not named a defendant.
Houston attorney Roger L. Merrill is representing the plaintiff.
The case has been assigned to Galveston County 405th District Court Judge Wayne Mallia.
Case No. 10cv0247
