March 30, 2021

Rose Sanders Law Firm to represent family of man lost during the winter storm in Wrongful Death Lawsuit filed Against CenterPoint Energy for the Gross mismanagement of the Power Grids

In February, Texas went through one of the worst weather events in our history. The record-setting cold created a situation that the power grid simply couldn’t handle. Lives were lost, and families were left looking for answers.

Especially the family of James Thomas Jones.

One family’s loss

Mr. Jones, an 83-year-old former oil technician with COPD, lived with his daughter. When the power grid faltered, his condition took a turn for the worse. His daughter and son-in-law fought to save him, going so far as to recharge his respirator with their own car battery. They eventually rushed him to the hospital, but it wasn’t enough. He passed away on February 17, 2021.

Why did the power fail?

Several outlets contend that the power grid failures can find their origination in the reckless disregard for advice provided in reports as early as 2011. By ignoring the warnings, Texas energy utilities left themselves vulnerable to extreme weather.

We now know that the grid’s vulnerabilities were more than just potential inconvenience. It was life-threatening negligence. And yet, CenterPoint Energy, the power utility that provides service across Houston, has only offered its condolences for what happened. To directly quote the Wrongful death petition filed:

“The extent of CenterPoint’s action included the deliberate decision to de-energize mass swathes of Houston populace merely so that a select few in the affluent portions of the city could keep power throughout the freeze. CenterPoint’s conscious indifference to strip millions of power, while publicly stating with a wink and a nod that power would be “rotated” in sub-hour intervals lead to the deaths of many—including Mr. James Thomas Jones.”

The facts will come through

Attorneys Charles Sanders, a co-founder of [nap_names id="FIRM-NAME-1"] and former insurance adjuster, and Erica Rose, as well as attorneys Benny Agosto Jr., Benny Agosto III, and Lena Laurenzo of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, have taken on the case. This team of attorneys knows first-hand the lengths that large companies will go to deny their liability.

Our attorneys intend to hold CenterPoint Energy accountable for their oversights and mismanagement and get justice for the family of James Thomas Jones.