Hotel Pool Fatally Electrocutes Swimmer
A Missouri City family was visiting a Hilton Hotel in West Houston for Labor Day weekend when the unimaginable happened.
The family was at the pool of the hotel at dusk when the lights came on automatically and that’s when the tragic incident occurred. An electrical current surged through the water as the lights came on.
An electrical contractor, Brown Electric, Inc., had recently worked on the pool’s electrical system, resulting in them being named in the lawsuit as a defendant along with the hotel.
The victim in this case was one of the sons in the family, Raul Hernandez Martinez. As his little brother suffered electrical shock in the pool, Raul Hernandez Martinez fought through the current to get his brother to the edge of the pool. The little brother would ultimately survive, but Raul became motionless as the current from the electricity surged through him.
He was pronounced dead six days later at the hospital.
Hotel Electrocution Death
Following this tragic accident, the investigation resulted in the finding that the hotel pool “did not meet applicable city, state, and national electrical codes” and the lighting system of the pool did not have Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters. As the JereBeasley Report stated, these are normal installations for pool construction.
The City of Houston inspector stated that the electrical contractor, Brown Electric, Inc., was hired by the hotel to bring the pool into compliance. It was found that the contractor failed to get a permit for the work done at the hotel as well.
After the death at the pool, both the contractor and the Hilton were cited for “use of electrical system which constitutes a hazard to safety, healthy and public welfare.”
The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the Martinez family. Our office’s thoughts remain with the family as this is a horrific accident.
Premises Liability
The above accident is a form of premises liability. If you have ever been injured, or your loved one has suffered injury or death on the property owned by another individual or entity, it would be considered premises liability.
As we stated in a Frequently Asked Question posted on our website, the owner or resident of a building has the responsibility to keep the property safe. A claim may be filed if they fail to do so and someone is injured, or as in the case above, suffers death.
If you would like to speak with a lawyer from our office about premises liability, or if you think you may have a claim, please call 800.637.8170.
