Couple sues CenterPoint after electrical shock leaves husband with major health issues

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A family in Katy are prisoners in their own home. They say they don't feel safe after a loved one got a strong electric shock while getting out of the shower.

The homeowner says the shock was so intense, he can't remember what happened right after it. Now, the man's family wants answers and is pushing to stop it from ever happening again.

The Katy-area couple hopes a lawsuit filed in civil court sends a strong message. They say their lives, all their way down to the what appliances they can use, have changed ever since the day the husband was injured.

For 50-year-old James Fivash, there is now a before and after in his life.

"I've had pain ever since. My eyes don't ever stop hurting," he said.

A man who once spoke easily now has trouble

"It's frustrating, I forget a lot of things," Fivash said.

The difference, he and his wife say, came in early 2011, just a few days after CenterPoint did work on the electrical box in their backyard responding to a neighbor's power issue. James says he finished up a shower, reached for the faucet and was shocked.

"And I remember it was bad," he said.

He went to the hospital while CenterPoint went to the house. The Fivashes say every outlet, every appliance was fried and the thing is before the shocking, they knew something was wrong.

"Things would dim and then get bright, dim and get bright," James' wife, Debbie Fivash, said.

The couple have now filed a lawsuit, claiming CenterPoint was negligent. CenterPoint declined to respond, citing the pending litigation.

But the company has sent the Fivashes three letters, acknowledging in one that the neutral wire -- important to complete an electrical circuit -- was loose at the time James was shocked. They say it was repaired and deny any liability.

"They're not owning up to what they should be doing," the couple's attorney, Joe Stephens, said.

Stephens believes the entire house must be re-wired, costing tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention James' ongoing health issues.

For now, they've learned to adjust to life without many appliances or electronics and to life after James' incident.

"It's tough for us," Debbie said.

The couple says they complained to CenterPoint about the surging issues in their house before the incident.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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NTSB issues safety alert on NEXRADs in planes

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Every night, we use weather radar to tell you about what to expect in your neighborhood. But the National Transportation Safety Board says the weather radar used by some pilots in the cockpit may be cause some very dangerous problems.

The NTSB just issued a safety alert reminding all pilots that Next-Generation Radar or NEXRAD - a network of radars operated by the National Weather Service -- is not totally reliable. In fact, some of the data might be old and using it could be deadly.

Ask any pilot and the weather is their biggest enemy.

"It's the one unknown that's out of our control," said Capt. Brandon Ray of Western Airways in Sugar Land.

Wind, clouds, rain, they are all factors.

Last December, the NTSB believed weather played a role in a crash that killed a Georgia family over Bryan; and this week, the agency said the pilot may have relied on old weather information provided by NEXRAD before the plane came apart in the sky.

"If you focus on the NEXRAD and the NEXRAD alone, you could fly into what appears to be clear weather but it turns out to be maybe a cell that's actually moved in," Ray said.

And that's exactly what the NTSB fears happened. This new safety alert says the last images received in the cockpit from NEXRAD were six, seven and eight minutes old.

Ray took us aboard a King Air and showed us how it could happen.

"Right here NEXRAD shows that it's five minutes old," he said.

While the information shows a five-minute delay, he says the images are really a lot older.

"Five minutes is when we received the information, it's not necessarily when the weather is valid," Ray said.

So he and the rest of the pilots use a combination of live radar and NEXRAD to plan routes, not to mention experience. For those pilots without the resources of an airline, weather briefings are easily available online

It's something most pilots already know but worth an important reminder about NEXRAD's limitations before taking off into the sky.

"If it's used in the wrong way, it could be deadly," Ray said.

The NTSB says the pilot of the Bryan crash last year actually flew into a developing rainstorm. It's the second crash in the past year and half where NEXRAD was used.

And though National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ultimately oversees NEXRAD, a spokeswoman says they are not involved in this issue.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Pistons plane lands safely in Houston despite reported issues

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A plane carrying some members of the Detroit Pistons landed safely in Houston after experiencing some issues Monday afternoon.

The Houston-bound private chartered flight for the team started having hydraulic issues on the left side of the aircraft so an alarm sounded, according to the Houston Fire Department. However, the plane landed about 30 minutes later at 5:30pm without incident.

None of the 44 people aboard the plane was injured and authorities determined everything with the place was OK.

No other details were available.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Galveston issues water restrictions

  GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- The City of Galveston is putting water restrictions in place and it's all to help out a neighboring city.

City leaders are asking residents to stop watering lawns and plants, washing vehicles or boats and refilling swimming pools. They say that will allow additional water to be available to League City, which is in the middle of a minor water emergency as crews repair a leaking water transmission line.

Galveston was in a similar situation over the Easter weekend. At that time, League City came to the rescue and Galveston leaders say they want to return the favor.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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