A Houston attorney has filed a $ 100 million lawsuit against Entergy Texas and the Texas Electric Reliability Board, alleging widespread updates contributed to the alleged hypothermic death of an 11-year-old Conroe boy.
Houston Attorney Tony Buzbee, who was indicted Saturday, claims the alleged death of Cristian Pineda from hypothermia would not have happened if ERCOT and the energy company had properly guarded the energy network against severe winter weather or warned residents about prolonged interruptions at the start. of the week. deadly weather crisis.
The case, filed on behalf of the family at Jefferson County District Court, accuses ERCOT and Entergy Texas of negligence and gross negligence. According to the case, the Pineda family is claiming damages, funeral expenses and a ruling of more than $ 100 million.
“This is a tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” ERCOT said in a statement. “We have not yet reviewed a pending lawsuit and will respond to it as soon as we do.”
Entergy Texas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the petition, both accused are accused of not warning people of a known danger, that they did not properly guard against winter storms, that they did not follow the published operating practices and procedures, and that their customers, among other things, would not notify.
ERCOT and Entergy’s actions involved an “extreme degree of risk”, Buzbee alleges in the lawsuit. The lawyer argues that the negligence was the ‘near cause’ of injuries sustained by the child.
ERCOT, which manages 90% of the state’s electricity load, has commissioned energy suppliers to export load shedding as demand for heat and power skyrocketed during severe winter weather, cutting power to millions of Texans. More than half of households in the Houston area have lost power.
In a Conroe garage park, the Pineda family of five hung out together to stay warm after losing power Monday morning. Cristian shared a bed with his younger brother and tried to warm him up Monday night. In the area, his mother and stepfather comforted his little brother. Maria Pineda found that her son did not respond the next day. She dials 911 and tries CPR, but the boy is dead.
Family members organized a GoFundMe to raise money to send Cristian’s body for burial in Honduras, where his grandparents live.
An autopsy was performed, but it will take several weeks before the cause of death is determined, Conroe police spokesman Sergeant said. Jeff Smith said. The boy appears to be a healthy child, Smith said.
Buzbee claims in the lawsuit that energy suppliers ‘make a profit on the well-being of people’ by ignoring the recommendations to overcome power infrastructure after a severe winter storm in 2011.
As an independent network, ERCOT is not subject to federal regulations or is required to winter the electrical network.
“Of course, just because it is not legally required does not mean that failure to do so is reasonable conduct,” the lawsuit reads. “ERCOT has failed all Texans, allowing suppliers to fail Texans.”
Instead of giving residents a warning that they would be without power for days, the lawsuit claims, ERCOT loudly posted messages on Facebook about skipping laundry and disconnecting kitchen appliances, according to screenshots.
“Accurate information may have saved Cristian Pineda’s young life,” the lawsuit said.