HOUSTON – Family members of a man electrocuted at a high-end Houston hotel have settled a civil lawsuit with the companies that own and operate the hotel.
On Aug. 31, 2013, Raul Hernandez, 27, was swimming with his family at the Hilton Houston Westchase Hotel when he was electrocuted after the pool lights illuminated.
A subsequent investigation by the Houston Police Department confirmed the pool had been improperly wired.
"Our hope is that the lessons learned from this tragedy will mean that companies responsible for swimming pools will not cut corners and risk the lives of their guests," Carlos Hernandez Jr., a spokesman for the victim's family, said.
The settlement is being paid by the hotel operator, a division of Arlington, Virginia-based Interstate Hotels and Resorts Inc., and the owner of the Hilton Westchase hotel, a subsidiary of Boston-based venture capital firm Wheelock Street Capital.
"This brings attention to this issue, to make sure this doesn't happen to anybody else," attorney, John Thomas, said.
The exact terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the younger brother of the victim, was slated to receive at least $2.2 million, according to court testimony.
Two electricians were charged with negligent criminal homicide for failing to install ground fault interrupt circuit switches, as code requires in wet areas to prevent such accidents.
Jason Joseph Gorczyca, 35, and James Ray Pyle, 34, have both surrendered their electrician licenses.
Each man was charged with criminal negligent homicide.
Gorczyca, in December, pleased no contest to a slightly reduced charge and is on probation.
Pyle's case has not yet gone to trial.