FEDERALCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
2001

Piotrowski v. City of Houston

237 F.3d 567Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit • Decided 2001Reversed
FLAGSHIPFlow-DownCited 1,320 times

HOLDING

A woman shot by a hit man sued Houston for failing to protect her, claiming police misconduct enabled the attack. She won a $20 million jury verdict, but the appeals court reversed it. The court ruled that isolated employee wrongdoing doesn't make a city liable—you need proof of an official city policy or pattern that caused the harm. This matters to subcontractors because it shows courts won't hold companies responsible for one-off employee mistakes without evidence of a systemic problem.

KEY FINDINGS

Flow-Down

A company is not automatically liable when an employee acts badly. You need to prove the company had an official policy or practice that caused the problem.

FULL COURT OPINION

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