SAN ANGELO, TX — Germania Insurance, as subrogee of Erwin Schwartz Jr., has sued FiberLight, LLC, alleging the company’s low-hanging utility lines damaged a cotton stripper on a Tom Green County road in January 2024.
The original petition, filed June 9, 2025, in the 51st Judicial District Court, claims that on Jan. 10, 2024, Randal Schwartz was operating a 2023 John Deere Model 7460 Cotton Stripper owned by Frank Schwartz Jr. westbound on Brodnax Lane when the top of the machine’s basket became entangled in low-hanging cable or utility lines owned by FiberLight.
Court documents state the vehicle measured 15 feet 6 inches at its highest point and that the lines were hanging lower than that height at their lowest point. The petition alleges the entanglement caused severe damage, resulting in a total loss of the vehicle and personal property valued at $87,829.33.
The suit accuses FiberLight of negligence in the placement and maintenance of the lines and claims the lines failed to meet a minimum clearance of 18 feet above the roadway as required by state and local standards, including 43 Texas Administrative Code § 21.41 and applicable Tom Green County specifications. Germania Insurance seeks monetary relief of $250,000 or less.
FiberLight, a Delaware corporation doing business in Texas with a principal place of business in Plano, filed an answer and general denial on June 23, 2025. The company denies the allegations, asserts that any damages were caused by other parties over whom it had no control, and raises affirmative defenses including failure to mitigate damages, comparative responsibility, and possible credits or offsets.
FiberLight has demanded a jury trial and asked the court to deny the claims, enter judgment in its favor, and award it costs and other relief.
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for July 10, 2026, at 9 a.m. before Judge Carmen Dusek, with a jury trial set to begin Aug. 3 at 8 a.m.
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