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`Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 1 of 9 PageID 1Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 1 of 9 PageID 1
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`In the United States District Court  
`Northern District of Texas  
`Amarillo Division  
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`Ka La Ya Lay, Aye Aya Lay, Tun Lah, 
`Individually, and Tun Nee Individually and 
`as next friend of minor child, K.M.N. and 
`as Representatives of the Estate of 
`Pwar Gay, Deceased
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`Vs.
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`Tyson Foods, Inc. 
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`Action No. _________________ 
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`PLAINTIFFS’ ORIGINAL COMPLAINT  
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`Ka La Ya Lay, Aye Aya Lay, Tun Lah, Individually, and Tun Nee Individually and as next                                 
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`friend of minor child, K.M.N. and ​as Representatives of the Estate of Pwar Gay, Deceased,
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`Plaintiffs, set forth their Complaint for damages against Tyson Foods, Inc., Defendant, and for                           
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`cause of action would show as follows:  
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`1. Parties  
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`Plaintiff, Tun Nee, is a resident and citizen of the State of Texas. 
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`Plaintiff, Ka La Ya Lay, is a resident and citizen of the State of Texas. 
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`Aye Aya Lay, is a resident and citizen of the State of Iowa. 
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`Plaintiff, Tun Lah, is a resident and citizen of the State of Texas. 
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`Plaintiff, K.M.N. is a minor and is a resident and citizen of the State of Texas. 
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`Defendant, Tyson Foods, Inc., (“Tyson”) is a company doing business in the State                         
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`of Texas and may be served by process by serving its registered agent, CT Corporation System, 1999                               
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`1.1
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`1.2
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`1.3
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`1.4
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`1.5
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`1.6 
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`Bryan St., Suite 900, Dallas, Texas 75201-3136. Citation is requested herein. Tyson is a company                             
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`Page 1 
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`Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 2 of 9 PageID 2Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 2 of 9 PageID 2
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`incorporated under the laws of Delaware with a principal place of business in Arkansas. 
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`Jurisdiction and Venue  
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`2. 
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`2.1 
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`Jurisdiction of this Court is invoked pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332. The Plaintiffs and                             
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`Defendant are citizens of different states and Plaintiffs seek damages in an amount that exceeds the                             
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`sum or value of $75,000 exclusive of interest and costs. 
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`2.2 
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`Personal jurisdiction and venue are proper because the cause of action accrued and                       
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`the negligent acts occurred within the Northern District of Texas, specifically within its Amarillo                           
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`Division. Furthermore, Tyson has a significant presence within the Northern District of Texas as it                           
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`has facilities located in the area.  
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`2.3
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`Plaintiffs are entitled to bring a wrongful death action pursuant to Tex. Civ. Prac. &                             
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`Rem. § 71.004. The family members’ relationships to the decedent are as follows: 
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`Tun Nee
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`Ka La Ya Lay 
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`Aye Aya Lay
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`Tun Lah 
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`K.M.N.
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`Husband of Pwar Gay 
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`Child of Pwar Gay  
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`Child of Pwar Gay 
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`Child of Pwar Gay 
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`Child of Pwar Gay 
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`Additionally, a survival action is brought herein by Tun Nee, in his capacity as                         
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`Representative of the Estate of Pwar Gay, Deceased. 
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`Background 
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`2.4
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`3. 
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`3.1
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`Ms. Gay worked as a meatcutter at the Tyson meatpacking plant located at 5000 FM                           
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`1912, Amarillo, Texas 79108. The city of Amarillo issued a stay-at-home order effective April 1,                             
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`Page 2 
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`Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 3 of 9 PageID 3Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 3 of 9 PageID 3
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`2020. Similarly, Governor Abbott issued a stay-at-home order which took effect on April 2, 2020.                           
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`In April 2020 Ms. Gay slipped and fell and injured her knees while on the job with Tyson.                                 
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`Following the injury, Tyson sent Ms. Gay to the Tyson Company Clinic, where she received first aid                                 
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`treatment and was sent back to work. Ms. Gay was suffering from pain and swelling, but was not                                   
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`allowed to go home and rest or seek medical attention due to Tyson’s shortage in staff. 
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`3.2
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`This
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`injury occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 infected             
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`numerous workers at the Tyson Beef Plant in Amarillo, where Ms. Gay worked. Ms. Gay was                             
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`required to continue to work in pain and with her injured knees, and during the coronavirus                               
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`pandemic. Ms. Gay was not provided appropriate personal protective equipment (“PPE”) to                       
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`protect her from coronavirus. After working on her injured leg Ms. Gay fell ill and was rushed to                                   
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`the hospital after she started having dificulty breathing and her knee was extremely swollen and                           
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`painful. Ms. Gay was admitted for several weeks as a result of the combination of her knee injuries                                   
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`and COVID-19 symptoms, which later proved to be fatal. Ms. Gay died on May 8, 2020. 
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`Plaintiffs would show that nothing that Pwar Gay did or failed to do on the occasion                               
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`3.3
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`in question caused or contributed to cause the occurrence. To the contrary, the injuries and death                             
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`of Ms. Gay were proximately caused by the negligence, both of commission and omission, of Tyson.                               
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`Tyson’s negligence caused Ms. Gay’s knee injuries, and also caused Ms. Gay to contract COVID-19                             
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`3.4
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`Upon information and belief, at least 4,500 Tyson employees have contracted                     
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`1 Amarillo Globe News, https://www.amarillo.com/news/20200330/city-of-amarillo-issues-stay-at-home-order (last 
`visited May 14, 2020). 
`2 Texas Tribute, https://www.texastribune.org/2020/03/31/greg-abbott-texas-executive-order-closures/ (last visited 
`May 14, 2020). 
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`Page 3 
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`Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 4 of 9 PageID 4Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 4 of 9 PageID 4
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`COVID-19, and at least 18 have died. A grossly disproportionate number of Tyson employees                           
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`have contracted COVID-19, and have died, when compared to the population as a whole. Tyson                             
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`does not provide workers compensation insurance to its employees, nor does it provide them with                             
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`any sick paid leave. Rather, Tyson institutes a rigged “injury settlement” program under which the                           
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`deck is stacked against its employees. The thousands of Tyson employees who have been injured on                               
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`the job over the years know this rigged program as “WISP,” which stands for “Workplace Injury                               
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`Settlement Program.” 
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`3.5
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`Tyson was grossly negligent and acted with malice, as that term is understood under                         
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`Texas law, and such conduct was a proximate cause of the injuries and death of Ms. Gay. Tyson’s                                 
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`malicious and grossly negligent conduct justifies the imposition of punitive and exemplary damages                         
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`both as punishment of Tyson and its callous disregard for the safety of individuals such as Ms. Pwar                                   
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`Gay. Plaintiffs therefore ask for punitive and exemplary damages in addition to actual damages. 
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`3.6
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`Plaintiff, Tun Nee has also suffered pecuniary loss from the death of his wife, Pwar                           
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`Gay. Decedent provided her husband with care, attention, and counsel.                   
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`In all reasonable     
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`probability, decedent would have continued to provide for her husband until death. Tun Nee seeks                           
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`to recover a sum of money that would fairly and reasonably compensate him for the termination of                                 
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`the husband-wife relationship, including the loss of the love, companionship and society that he                           
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`would have received from his wife, Pwar had she lived. Plaintiff, Tun Nee also seeks compensation                               
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`for the mental anguish, emotional pain, torment and suffering that he has suffered, and in                           
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`reasonable probability will continue to suffer in connection with the wrongful death of Pwar Gay. 
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`3.7 
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`Ka La Ya Lay, Aye Aya Lay, Tun Lah, and K.M.N. ​have suffered pecuniary loss
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`3Business Insider, 
`https://www.businessinsider.com/tyson-4500-covid-19-cases-as-meat-industry-blames-workers-2020-5 (last visited May 
`14, 2020). 
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`Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 5 of 9 PageID 5Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 5 of 9 PageID 5
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`from the death of their mother, including losses of care, maintenance, support, services, advice,                         
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`counsel, and contributions of a pecuniary value that they would, in reasonable probability, have                           
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`received from their mother during her lifetime had he lived. They have suffered additional losses by                               
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`virtue of the destruction of the parent-child relationship, including the right to love, affection,                           
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`solace, comfort, companionship, society, emotional support, and happiness. They have suffered                     
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`mental anguish, grief, and sorrow as a result of the death of their mother, and are likely to continue                                     
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`to suffer for a long time in the future. 
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`Additionally, a survival action is brought herein by Tun Nee, in his capacity as                         
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`Representative of the Estate of Pwar Gay, Deceased, including claims for medical bills and pain and                               
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`3.8
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`suffering. 
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`3.9
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`Tun Nee, Ka La Ya Lay, Aye Aya Lay, Tun Lah, K.M.N. were present when Ms. Gay                               
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`suffered from her knee injury COVID-19 symptoms and death and they were in shock as a result of                                   
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`direct emotional impact from perceiving the death of Ms. Gay as it happened. Accordingly, Plaintiffs                             
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`are entitled to recover mental-anguish damages as a bystander to the death of Ms. Pwar Gay. 
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`3.10
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`Tyson was not a subscriber to a policy of workers compensation insurance, and thus  
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`Plaintiff brings this suit for damages under the provisions of Section 406.033 of the Texas Labor  
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`Code for personal injuries while in the course and scope of her employment with Defendant.  
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`3.11  Tyson, as a non-subscriber under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act, and  
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`pursuant to Section 406.033 of the Texas Labor Code, has lost its common law defenses of:  
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`a. 
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`b. 
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`c. 
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`contributory negligence of Plaintiff;  
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`that the injury was caused by the negligence of a fellow employee; and/or  
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`that the Plaintiff assumed the risk of the injury incident to her employment.  
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`Page 5 
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`Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 6 of 9 PageID 6Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 6 of 9 PageID 6
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`3.12  Furthermore, Tyson was the owner of the premises where the incident occurred or                       
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`otherwise was in control of the premises located at 5000 FM 1912. Ms. Gay was its invitee at the                                     
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`time the injury occurred. The plaintiff went on defendant’s premises for the mutual benefit of                             
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`herself and the defendant, upon the invitation of employment at the premises in question.  
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`Employer Negligence  
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`On the occasion in question, Tyson owed Ms. Gay a duty of care commensurate                           
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`4. 
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`4.1
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`with its relationship to her as her employer. As her employer, Tyson owed Ms. Gay a duty to use                                   
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`ordinary care in providing a safe workplace, hiring competent co-employees, providing needed                       
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`safety equipment or assistance, warning Ms. Gay of the hazards of her employment, and providing                             
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`training and supervision.  
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`4.2  Ms. Gay sustained her severe, permanent injuries and died because of Tyson’s                     
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`negligence and gross negligence when Tyson and/or its employees negligently:  
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`a. failed to provide a safe workplace;  
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`b. failed to protect employees against coronavirus; 
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`c. failed to hire competent co-employees;  
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`d. failed to supervise its employees; 
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`e. failed warn Ms. Gay of the slip hazards; 
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`f. failed to properly train employees on safety protocols; and 
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`g. failed to properly supervise employees on a regular basis and under pandemic 
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`conditions. 
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`4.3 
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`Tyson’s breach of its duty to use ordinary care constituted negligence and was a 
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`proximate cause of Ms. Gay’s injuries and death.  
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`Page 6 
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`5.
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`5.1 
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`Additionally, as the premises owner, Tyson Food owed Ms. Gay (its invitee) the duty                           
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`Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 7 of 9 PageID 7Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 7 of 9 PageID 7
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`Premises Liability  
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`to exercise ordinary care to keep the premises in a reasonably safe condition, inspect the premises to                                 
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`discover latent defects, and make safe any defects or give an adequate warning.  
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`5.2 
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`Tyson’s conduct, and that of its agents, servants, and employees, acting within the                       
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`scope of their employment, constituted a breach of the duty of ordinary care owed by Tyson to the                                   
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`Ms. Gay.  
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`5.3 
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`Tyson knew that the condition on its premises created an unreasonable risk of harm                           
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`to invitees because Tyson knew of the rampant spread of COVID-19 throughout its facility and of                               
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`previous slip and fall incidents and/or knew of the enduring hazardous conditions: that the surface                           
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`was slippery, dirty, over-worn, lacking appreciable non-skid, without proper drainage, warped, and                       
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`susceptible to ponding. Notwithstanding, Tyson should have known that the condition on its                         
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`premises created an unreasonable risk of harm to invitees because enduring hazardous conditions                         
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`had been present for such a long period of time that Tyson should have known of them in the                                   
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`exercise of ordinary care.  
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`5.4 
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`Tyson failed to exercise ordinary care to reduce or eliminate this risk by exposing                           
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`employees to coronavirus and failing to maintain the floor in a reasonably safe condition, by failing                             
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`to remove the foreign substance, and by failing to warn the plaintiff regarding the slippery and                               
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`dangerous condition of the floor.  
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`5.5 
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`Each of these acts and omissions, whether taken singularly or in any combination, 
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`was a proximate cause of the occurrence described above and of the plaintiff’s injuries and damages 
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`described below.  
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`Page 7 
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`Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 8 of 9 PageID 8Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 8 of 9 PageID 8
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`6. 
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`Punitive/Exemplary Damages  
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`6.1  Ms. Gay adopts and incorporates by reference the preceding Paragraphs 1 through                       
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`4.5 as if fully stated within this section.  
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`6.2
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`Tyson was grossly negligent, as that term is understood under Texas law, and such 
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`conduct was a proximate cause of Ms. Gay’s injuries and death. Tyson’s grossly negligent conduct 
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`justifies the imposition of punitive and exemplary damages both as punishment of Tyson and its 
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`callous disregard for the safety of individuals such as Ms. Gay, and to deter Tyosn’s ongoing actions 
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`as well as others from engaging in similar conduct.  
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`6.3 
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`Plaintiff therefore asks for punitive and exemplary damages in addition to all actual  
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`Pre- and Post-Judgment Interest 
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`Plaintiffs would additionally say and show that they are entitled to recovery of pre-                           
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`and post-judgment interest in accordance with law and equity as part of their damages herein, and                               
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`damages.  
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`7. 
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`7.1
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`Plaintiffs here and now sue for recovery of pre- and post-judgment interest as provided by law and                                 
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`equity, under the applicable provisions of the laws of the State of Texas. 
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` Jury Demand  
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`Plaintiffs hereby request a trial by jury. 
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`Conclusion and Prayer 
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`Plaintiffs request that Defendants be cited to appear and answer, and that on final                           
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`8.
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`8.1
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`9. 
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`9.1
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`trial Plaintiffs have: (1) judgment against Defendants, for actual, compensatory and exemplary                       
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`damages in accordance with the evidence; (2) pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as provided                       
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`Page 8 
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`Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 9 of 9 PageID 9Case 2:20-cv-00125-Z Document 1 Filed 05/15/20 Page 9 of 9 PageID 9
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`by law; (3) costs of court; (4) attorney's fees; and (5) such other and further relief, general and                                 
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`special, to which Plaintiffs may show themselves justly entitled at law and in equity. 
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`Respectfully submitted, 
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`VB Attorneys 
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`/s/ Vuk S. Vujasinovic 
`Vuk S. Vujasinovic 
`SBN: 00794800 
`Vuk@vbattorneys.com 
`Job Tennant 
`SBN: 24106501 
`Job@vbattorneys.com 
`6363 Woodway, Suite 400 
`Houston, Texas 77056 
`713.224.7800 
`713.224.7801 Fax 
`Admin E-copy to Liza@vbattorneys.com 
`Attorneys for Plaintiffs, ​Ka La Ya Lay, Aye Aya 
`Lay, Tun Lah, Individually, and Tun Nee 
`Individually and as next friend of minor child, 
`K.M.N. and ​as Rep. of the Estate of Pwar Gay, 
`Deceased, 
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`Page 9 
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