Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Efforts to resolve tornado lawsuit against Home Depot fail, trial set for June 2016

Efforts to resolve a Joplin tornado-related lawsuit against Home Depot were unsuccessful, according to a status report filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

The next several months will be spent taking depositions for the lawsuit, which was filed by Edie Housel, who lost her husband, Russell Thomas Howard, daugther Harli Jayce Howard, 5, and son Hayze Cole Howard, 19 months, in the tornado.

The trial has been scheduled for Monday, June 20, 2016, and is expected to last three weeks.

The lawsuit, which was initially filed May 23 in Jasper County Circuit Court, was removed to federal court in June 2014.

The petition says that Housel's husband and children were killed after they sought refuge at Home Depot.

(They) were directed to the training room in the back of the building, but before they could reach the area, the large unsupported wall panels collapsed on top of them. (They) were killed as a result of injuries suffered from the tornado.

The negligence claims include poor construction of the building, no proper emergency plan, and lack of proper training.

In addition to two counts of negligence, the defendants face a third count of "loss of consortium."

Ms. Housel is represented by Katrina Richards of the Hershewe Law Firm of Joplin

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sheisters

Anonymous said...

To 6:48--Classy. I'd suggest spellcheck, but that generally requires an I.Q. over 70.

Anonymous said...

Money grab.
She going to go after GOD???
After all it was a act of God........

Anonymous said...

Please show some compassion. We should respect this woman's decision to go to court, you don't have to agree with it or like it, but it's her decision to make, not ours. My heart goes out to her, and all the families affected that day. I can't imagine the heartbreak of losing your entire family in an instant. I'm sure this lawsuit is grief-driven, and anybody who's ever been in that state of mind can tell you, you don't always see things clearly.

Anonymous said...

Plaintiff attorney: Your honor, I would like to call our first witness.....God

Anonymous said...

Wow, really tasteless

Anonymous said...

Tasteless? Yes, I would classify this attempt at extortion as classless as well. Case dismissed.

Anonymous said...

Regardless if the lawsuit is baseless or not, the comments were crude. This woman lost her entire family,not to mention the MAN was a solider. Let her have her day in court & leave your heartless comments aside. It is her right to sue. Do I think they were at fault? Probably not but,that's up to a jury of her peers & a judge to decide.

Anonymous said...

Thank you! That's exactly how I feel about it too.