Wrongful-Death Lawsuit
Wrongful-Death Lawsuit
Wrongful-Death Lawsuit
DALLAS COUNTY
17-CITS ES 2/20/2017 1:06:42 PM
FELICIA PITRE
DISTRICT CLERK
Plaintiffs,
v.
Defendants
ORIGINAL PETITION
WYKESHA REID and as next friend of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, minor, and Xxxxxxxx Xxxx,
INNER TOWN, INC., GMR GP, LLC, REEVES GROUP, LTD., CEDAR HICKORY,
LLC, GOOD-LATIMER, LP, SWISS HAWKINS, LP, GEORGE M. REEVES III, LTD.,
CITY POCKET, LTD., GEORGE REEVES MGT. COMPANY, LLC, GMR, INC., and
TAMALE HOUSE, INC. (Defendants) and for cause of action would show as follows:
Redaction
1. Pursuant to Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21c, this document was redacted
to protect the names of the minor parties in this matter. Specifically, Rule 21c (c) states:
At the request of the Dallas County Clerk, Anita, 214 -653-6896, this document was
changed to reflect the first initial of the Minors first and last names.
3. Plaintiffs seek relief as specified by Rules 47(c)(5) & 47(d) of the Texas Rules
of Civil Procedure.
Jurisdiction; Venue
4. This Court has personal jurisdiction over each Defendant because each
Defendant is either a Texas resident or has committed a tort in Texas such that the
statute.
5. This court has subject matter jurisdiction over this suit for damages because
the damages sought are within the jurisdiction limits of the court.
substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred.
Parties
individual who may be served with process at the DALLAS COUNTY JAIL, NORTH
75208.
that may be served by serving her attorney of record HEATH HARRIS, 1910 PACIFIC
Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of process,
Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
in Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
in Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
18. Defendant SAMUEL MILLER FIT, LLC is a company which does business
in Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
business in Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for
75204.
Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
which does business in Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered
24. Defendant GMR, INC. is a company which does business in Texas. It may
be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of process, George
Texas. It may be served with process herein by serving its registered agent for service of
26. Whenever in this petition it is alleged that a defendant did or failed to do any
act or thing, it is meant that the defendants governing body, directors, officers, agents,
to its control, did or failed to do any act or thing and that, at the time such conduct
occurred, it occurred with the authorization and/or ratification of such defendant and/or
was done in the normal and routine course and scope of employment or agency of the
27. At all relevant times, each Defendant was an agent of the other Defendants.
In committing the acts alleged herein, the Defendants acted within the scope of their
agency and were acting with the consent, permission, authorization and knowledge of their
other respective Defendants, and perpetrated and/or conspired to or aided and abetted the
unlawful acts described herein. All actions of the Defendants alleged herein were ratified
and approved by the other respective Defendants or their respective officers, directors,
Facts
about February 18, 2015. On that day, Wykesha Reid visited 3815 East Side Avenue (East
Side Property) to receive a Brazilian Butt Lift, also referred to as Brazilian Butt
Injections, from Defendants Jimmy Joe Clarke (Clarke) and Denise Rochelle Ross (Ross)
who represented themselves as medical doctors. Clarke and Ross were not, in fact, doctors
and lacked any medical training. Defendant Deshonte Robinson rented the premises from
the owner of the property George M. Reeves and/or his various co-defendant entities. On
February 18, 2015, at approximately 6:00 p.m., Wykesha Reid visited this property and
approved for such application) into her buttocks by these two medical frauds.
29. Serious health complications arose for Wykesha Reid soon after the
injections. She began having a seizure and ultimately died from pulmonary silicone
embolization as the silicone traveled through her heart and became lodged in Ms. Reids
lungs. Essentially, Ms. Reid suffocated slowly as silicone prevented the lungs from working
properly. Instead of calling for help or alerting someone else, or trying to render aid, these
two boils on the backside of Dallas countyDefendants Clarke and Rossran from the
scene, leaving Ms. Reid locked inside the property overnight, condemning her to death and
turning the slum at 3815 East Side Avenue into her tomb.
30. Before leaving, Clarke and Ross took time to throw away evidence and order
other workers and customers to leave the premises of the illegal operation.
31. After abandoning Ms. Reid to die a painful suffocation death, one of the
career criminals, Clarke, returned the next morning at 7:50 am and finally called police. But
instead of being truthful with authorities, Clarke tried to fool the authorities by telling the
ridiculous story that Ms. Reid was not feeling well and had asked to lie down, so the career
criminals just let her sleep overnight in the building and were shocked to find her dead the
next morning. Ross and Clarke were both charged with murder and practicing medicine
32. Astonishingly, Clarke and Ross had already seriously injured another
individual while delivering these illegal injections and had gone to police. Even so, Ross and
Clarke continued to perform these illegal and highly dangerous operations and the other
because of the strong financial incentive. The previous victim reported that one session of
injections cost $520.00 and came with superglue and cotton balls to help plug the gaping
33. At all material times and in all material respects, the commercial property at
3815 East Side Avenue, Dallas, Texas (East Side property) was owned, operated, managed,
34. Upon current information and belief, the various Defendants who owned,
operated, managed, and controlled the East Side property at the time in question were
engaged in a joint enterprise or joint venture to operate and/or maintain the Eastside
property, and each had the actual right to control the business operations, policies,
they comprised and constituted a single business enterprise in such regard. Additionally
and/or alternatively, they were managers, vice principals, agents, mere tools,
instrumentalities, departments, and/or alter egos of each other or of one or another of them
with regard to operation of the Eastside property and the commercial enterprise therewith.
They are vicariously and/or jointly and/or severally liable for the conduct of one another in
such regard.
35. At all material times, Defendants Clarke and Ross were engaged in the
36. Wykesha Reids death was a foreseeable and preventable tragedy that
occurred because Defendants failed to properly hire, train, warn, protect, and supervise
Causes of Action
37. Plaintiff is entitled to and does bring this action pursuant to Title 4, Chapter
71, Subchapter A of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Texas Wrongful Death
statute. Defendants are liable to Plaintiffs for the actual damages arising from the injury
which caused Wykesha Reids death because such injury was caused by Defendants or their
forth below, and the decedent would have been entitled to bring an action for such injury
administration of such estate remains pending and none is necessary. Plaintiff is entitled to
and does bring this action in such representative capacity pursuant to Title 4, Chapter 71,
Subchapter B of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, the Texas Survival statute.
Plaintiff asserts against Defendants all causes of action for personal injury to the health and
person of Wykesha Reid caused by Defendants or its agents or servants wrongful acts,
intentional acts, fraud, neglect, carelessness, unskillfulness, or default, as set forth below.
39. Defendants owed a duty to the public and to Wykesha Reid to conduct their
work with ordinary care. On the day of the incident in question, Defendants breached their
duty and their breach was a proximate cause of the death of Wykesha Reid and the damages
proximately caused and/or were a producing cause of Plaintiffs damages herein. Defen-
dants were negligent toward Plaintiff in failing to provide a safe environment to receive
medical treatment in and failing to exercise ordinary care in preventing injury to business
invitees on the premises. Even when aware of the significant threat of harm, the
Defendants were negligent and grossly negligent in failing to stop or prevent further
dangerous actions by those on the premises. Defendants failed to take actions to protect
Ms. Reid when they had actual and/or constructive knowledge that she was in danger. The
Defendants negligent acts and/or omissions were a proximate cause of Plaintiffs injuries
41. On the date in question, Defendants Ross and Clarke falsely imprisoned Ms.
Reid by willfully detaining Ms. Reid without her consent and without legal authority or
justification within the East Side Property overnight, causing her to die from medical
complications.
misrepresenting their medical training and their ability to perform the operation at issue in
a safe manner. This representation was false and the Defendants knew this representation
was false at the time it was made. Defendants made the representation with the intent that
Ms. Reid act on it. Ms. Reid relied on these representations, which caused Ms. Reids
death. Defendants used this fraud to induce Ms. Reid to obtain their services. The
Defendants failed to disclose that Clarke and Ross were in fact not medical practitioners.
and committing murder, as well as violating other numerous state, federal, and local
regulations.
murder. Defendants breached their duty to the Plaintiff by maintaining a common nuisance
45. Wykesha Reid entered the premises upon which she was injured at the
express or implied invitation of the Defendants and for a purpose connected with the
business of the Defendants that did or could have resulted in the mutual economic benefit
to the Plaintiff and the Defendants. Ms. Reid was an invitee. In the alternative, she was a
licensee or a guest. Plaintiff was a permissive user of the premises. The premises upon
which she was injured posed an unreasonable risk of harm, Defendants knew or should
have known of the danger, and Defendants failed to exercise ordinary care to protect the
Plaintiff from the danger by adequately warning Plaintiff of the condition and/or by failing
and dangerous premises condition; maintaining and/or allowing a hazardous and dangerous
premises condition; failing to warn of the hazardous and dangerous condition; failing to use
condition which Defendant knew about, or in the exercise of ordinary care should have
dangerous condition of the premises; failing to properly hire and train qualified employees,
agents and servants in the safe operation, maintenance, and supervision of the premises;
failing to properly supervise its employees, agents, servants and/or invitees in the safe
operation, maintenance, and supervision of the premises; and failing to implement and/or
enforce appropriate guidelines, rules, policies and/or procedures to ensure that the
47. Defendants entered into a civil conspiracy to perform this medical fraud
resulting in the wrongful death and murder of Wykesha Reid. Deshonte Robinson rented
the premises on behalf of Clarke and Ross and participated in this illegal enterprise.
Defendant George Reeves allowed and assisted said illegal enterprise to exist and persist
48. Each of the foregoing negligent acts and omissions, whether taken singularly
or in any combination, proximately caused the injuries and damages of Plaintiff set forth
herein.
from their standpoints at the time of its occurrence, involves an extreme degree of risk,
considering the probability and magnitude of the potential harm to others and of which
each had actual, subjective awareness of the risk involved, but nevertheless proceeds with
50. As a result of Defendants conduct and the death of Wykesha Reid, Plaintiffs
have suffered damages in the past and will suffer damages in the future, including but not
limited to, mental anguish, loss of consortium, grief, bereavement, loss of future financial
contributions, loss of services, loss of advice, care and counsel, loss of society and
companionship, and medical, funeral, and burial expenses, for which damages are sought
under Article XVI, section 26 of the Texas Constitution and Chapter 41 of the Texas Civil
51. Plaintiffs will continue to suffer these injuries for the rest of Plaintiffs lives,
52. Defendants are liable to the Estate of Wykesha Reid for her physical pain,
suffering and mental anguish, loss of earning capacity, physical disfigurement, physical
Conditions Precedent
53. All conditions precedent to Plaintiffs right to recover the relief sought herein
Jury Trial
55. Defendants are requested to provide the disclosure of the items set forth in
Rule 194.2 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure with 50 days after service of this request
on you.
final hearing of the cause, judgment be entered for the Plaintiffs against the Defendants for
actual and exemplary damages in an amount within the jurisdictional limits of the Court,
together with pre-judgment and post-judgment interest at the maximum rate allowed by
law, and costs of court. Plaintiffs further pray for such other relief to which they may show
______________________
James R. Ames
State Bar No. 24091111
Steven R. Samples
State Bar No. 24086348
Samples Ames pllc
1512 Crescent Drive, Suite 119
Carrollton, Texas 75006
Direct (214) 308-6505
Fax (855) 605-1505
[email protected]
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
The undersigned certifies that a true and correct copy of the foregoing document
was served by private process server at the time and in the manner set forth in the return of
service.
_________________________
James R. Ames