Part of a lawsuit filed over a Texas man's electrocution at a Hilton pool has been settled. Raul Hernandez died in August after he jumped into the pool at the Hilton Westchase in Houston to rescue his younger brother and mother. They were shocked when the pool lights came on.
The family has settled with Brown Electric, one of the many defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of Hernandez. Other defendants include Hilton Worldwide Inc., Interstate Hotels and Resorts LLC, WS Westchase LLC, Interstate Westchase LP, Westchase Tenant LLC, and Interstate Management Co. LLC, according to a report by the Houston Press.
The Houston Chronicle reported in November that an investigation by police, the city's Public Works and Engineering Department and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation determined the wiring to the pool light lacked a ground fault circuit interrupter that would have immediately cut off the current in the event of a shock, officials said. The pool also lacked proper bonding, police said.
The hotel had hired Brown Electric in June to replace the wiring and bonding for the pool. Two electricians from Brown Electric were charged in Hernandez's death.
According to the Houston Press, the other defendants, including Hilton, haven't shown any signs of wanting to settle, the family's attorney said, so they are preparing for trial. The case is slated to go to trial in November.
