Police Applicant Claims Injuries During Fitness Test

A woman from Beaumont, Texas who suffered a broken arm and leg while performing a physical fitness test for the Beaumont Police Department has filed a personal injury suit against the city.

According to the suit filed in Texas’ Jefferson County District Court by Carla Mattox, she was forced to undergo the physical fitness test in order to qualify as a patrol officer for the Beaumont Police Department.

The suit says that as part of the test on March 25, Mattox was required to run an obstacle course. She claims that as she was running the course, she fell while climbing a ladder that had no handrails and broke her arm and leg.

According to the suit, the course had little or no supervision, despite participants being required to climb to heights exceeding 10 feet. It also claims no “spotters” were in place to provide aid or protection to the participants in case of a fall from the structures.

Mattox claims the fall caused her to suffer severe injuries, pain, mental anguish, and lost earnings and incur medical expenses.

The suit alleges negligence on the part of Beaumont for failure to properly maintain the obstacle course, failure to properly maintain equipment, failure to provide adequate supervision, and failure to provide a sufficient number of people to act as spotters.

Mattox seeks unspecified damages, plus costs.