One of the first lawsuits following the Kerr County floods was filed Tuesday against an RV park for negligence on behalf of a young woman who died from injuries suffered during the flooding.
Jayda Floyd, 22, was staying at HTR TX Hill Country, an RV and camping resort along the Guadalupe River. Floyd was with her fiancé, Odessa Police Officer Bailey Martin, celebrating the Fourth of July in their RV.
Both Floyd and Martin died in the flood that swept them away along with their RV.
“The family wants answers and accountability. They want to know why the resort had no effective system to monitor extreme weather and flooding, no adequate warning for guests like Jayda, and no timely evacuation procedures,” San Antonio attorney Kevin Glasheen said in a news release.
Jon Clark of Glasheen, Valles & Inderman is representing the family.
“Businesses operating campgrounds along the river have known about its flooding history for decades,” Clark said in the release. “We will investigate what steps — if any — were taken to monitor conditions and warn guests of the danger they were in.”
Floyd’s family is seeking more than $1 million in damages for the pain and mental anguish Floyd sustained that resulted in her death. They are also requesting a jury trial.
Floyd was a juvenile probation officer in Ector County. She was pursuing a master’s degree in psychology at the University of Texas Permian Basin.
“Our hearts go out to Ms. Floyd’s family, her fiancé, and other loved ones — and to all of those who were impacted by the flooding that devastated the Kerrville community,” a spokesperson for HTR TX Hill Country said in a statement. “As has been widely acknowledged by state and local authorities, meteorologists, and other experts, no one could have anticipated the unprecedented severity and rapid onset of the flooding that occurred and that exposed serious failures in public warning systems and emergency response protocols. While we have not yet been served with this complaint, we have reviewed a copy. We reject its fundamental premise and will be prepared to vigorously defend ourselves in court.”
The complaint was filed with Judge Albert Pattillo III.
Attorneys for the defendants, which include The Davis Companies, DIV HTR Kerrville, Blue Water Development and Ilana Callahan, have not filed appearances.
The case is Christie Floyd and David Floyd, David Floyd as representative of the estate of Jayda Floyd v. The Davis Companies Inc., DIV HTR Kerrville LLC and Ilana Callahan, 25476A.