BALCH SPRINGS, Texas — State Farm Lloyds is suing on behalf of three individuals after they had their homes damaged or destroyed by the massive fire in Balch Springs caused by mowing on a property owned by a Plano-based investment company.
The suit is asking for the investment company, Sikka Investments, to pay more than $1 million to Edgar Cruz, Mario Thompson and Miguel Quinonez, who State Farm Lloyds is asking on behalf of, a lawsuit filed against Sikka Investments shows.
On July 25, the fire started at the Sikka Investments-owned property in the 4200 block of South Beltline Road in Balch Springs, which then spread to a neighborhood and damaged or destroyed multiple homes, including those of Cruz, Thompson and Quinonez.
City officials at the time said the owner of a grass field near the home had received two code compliance warnings and a court summons before they decided to cut the grass that day. Mowers hit metal, which caused sparks and then a large fire.
"The fire at issue started because the property owned by Defendant Sikka was improperly maintained and mowed in an unsafe manner and/or when conditions made undertaking such an activity unsafe," the lawsuit reads.
It goes on to state that the three plaintiffs represented by State Farm Lloyds suffered damage to their property and living expense damages. Pursuant to this loss, State Farm Lloyds compensated the three for the covered damages they incurred, and brought this suit forward to recover the money from the Sikka Investments.
The suit claims two causes against Sikka Investments -- negligence, due to not maintaining its property and mowing in an unsafe manner; and respondeat superior, a legal term meaning employees committed the act of negligence while working for their employer -- that being Sikka Investments.
In all, the insurance agency is asking for more than $1 million to be paid to them, along with interest, as well as court and attorney's fees.