Walden on Lake Conroe sued for $1M in boat crash
A country club on Lake Conroe is now being sued for more than $1 million after five people, including three children, were seriously injured last month when their boat wrecked with the bulkhead of the peninsula where the business is situated. This comes after a wrongful death lawsuit was filed in January against the club.
Filed May 2 in Harris County, this latest suit against Walden Country Club asserts the business is at fault for gross negligence and premises liability. The suit argues the Montgomery golf club is liable for not properly lighting the bulkhead and not developing policies and procedures for safe night boating.
The previously filed lawsuit against the golf club also points to the peninsula’s bulkhead as cause for its claims. The $1 million lawsuit was filed against the Walden Country Club and two other businesses on the lake — Margaritaville on Lake Conroe Resort and GuadalaHARRY’s Bar & Grill.
Houston-based law firm Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner are representing the plaintiffs in both suits.
This new suit contends Chris Farr on April 18 crashed into the poorly lit bulkhead while returning home with his family after dinner.
“Upon impact, the occupants of the boat were thrown about, causing great bodily injuries,” read a statement from the law firm.
John Formanski, a passenger on the boat suffered a traumatic brain injury, while Farr, and other passengers, Lisa Farr, Shannon Formanski and three Fornanski children sustained “severe” injuries, the suit details. The Farrs are from Texas and the Formanskis are from Ohio, according to the suit.
Meanwhile, the wrongful death lawsuit from January maintains Walden Country Club contributed to the July 10 boat crash where vessel passenger and Buda resident Earl Schneider, 56, died.
“At one time, the peninsula had lights that would alert boaters to the peninsula’s presence at night. However, the lights fell into disrepair and were not working on the night of the accident,” the January suit read in part.
The boater in that 2021 incident, Robert Brad Rice, 54, of Montgomery, is facing six felony charges: intoxication manslaughter, manslaughter, two counts of intoxication assault and two counts of aggravated assault.
“Walden Country Club had a duty to maintain the premises in a safe condition and to refrain from causing injuries to parties through any gross negligence,” read a statement from the law firm. “This is particularly true given the notice provided by the first serious accident to guard against any other similar accidents caused by poor lighting near/on the peninsula, like the second accident.”
When reached by phone on Friday, Walden Country Club Director Dan MacIntyre declined to comment on either of the lawsuits.
Walden Country Club is at 13101 Walden Road in Montgomery. The business’s principal offices are in Harris County, which is why litigation is taking place there, the suit explains.
“The negligent actors should be brought to justice. We hope that a Harris County jury can bring them to justice,” read a statement from Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner attorney Benny Agosto Jr.
Law firm partner Benny Agosto III is also a plaintiffs’ attorney on the suit, as is Sugar Land-based personal injury attorney Jacob Karam with the Karam Law Office.
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