Houston-area restaurants sue CenterPoint Energy over power outage

HOUSTON (KIAH) — A group of Houston-area restaurants are part of a lawsuit filed against CenterPoint Energy as they struggle to stay open without power a week after Hurricane Beryl hit the area.

The class action lawsuit was filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, asserting claims against the power company for negligence and other legal violations.

On his Facebook page, Buzbee claims in his complaint that CenterPoint “failed to invest in infrastructure for years, failed to properly inspect, maintain and upgrade equipment, failed to properly train staff, failed to have a competent storm plan in place and failed to adequately respond to the storm once it hit the area.”

CenterPoint Energy has not yet responded to the complaint.

Buzbee has not yet specified how many restaurants are part of the lawsuit, but he is filing the complaint to initiate changes in CenterPoint’s methods of restoring power to the area.

“One thing that everyone bringing this case wants to make clear is that this case is not about money – it is about forcing Centerpoint (sic) in court to do what the administrative, legislative and executive system has failed to demand,” Buzbee said in the statement.