Houston must defend negligence claim over man’s fatal attempt to stop bin lorry
The City of Houston must continue defending a negligence lawsuit brought by Sathya Rajendra after her husband, Rajendra Gudur, died while trying to stop a city garbage truck. A Texas appeals court rejected the city’s request to dismiss the claim, finding the allegations sufficient for the case to proceed; the ruling does not determine whether Houston was negligent or guarantee a settlement.
Gudur fell and struck his head after trying to flag down and bang on the truck on 4 March 2024, and later died from his injuries. His lawyer said a jury could apportion responsibility: under Texas rules, the family could recover a share of damages if Gudur is found no more than 50 per cent at fault, but nothing if he is found more than 50 per cent at fault. The city may seek dismissal again, and its deadline to request a rehearing was extended to 23 October 2026.
- Houston’s appeal to dismiss the negligence claim was rejected.
- Rajendra Gudur died after falling while trying to stop a city garbage truck.
- The lawsuit continues, with responsibility and damages still unresolved.
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Houston is the largest city in Texas, where local government services include collecting household rubbish. The case concerns a fatal incident involving one of the city’s bin lorries and a man who tried to get its crew’s attention.
Sathya Rajendra says the city was negligent in connection with her husband Rajendra Gudur’s death. A negligence claim asks whether someone failed to take reasonable care and whether that failure caused harm; the court case will examine the allegations and evidence.
Texas law allows responsibility for an injury to be shared between those involved. A family may recover some damages if the person who died was found to be no more than half responsible, but not if he was found more than half responsible.
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The case for
The lawsuit should proceed because the allegations raise a legitimate question about whether the city or its employees acted negligently, and that question is best resolved with evidence rather than dismissed at this stage. Allowing a jury to assess each party’s contribution respects the family’s chance to seek compensation while preserving the rule that any recovery depends on Gudur’s share of responsibility.
The case against
Houston can reasonably argue that the case should be dismissed if the evidence does not establish a legal basis for holding the city responsible. Gudur chose to approach and strike the moving truck, so his own actions may have been the principal cause of the fatal fall; requiring the city to defend a trial without sufficient evidence could impose unjustified costs on public resources.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Houston city faces lawsuit after resident died while chasing down garbage truck”.