An October 2003 decision from the Court of Appeals of Texas has held, as a matter of first impression for the courts of that state, that a beekeeper has a duty to provide a warning about the danger of bee stings. Although the decision is binding onlywithin the Court's Texas jurisdiction, it should be of interest to all persons involved with beekeeping. The facts behind the lawsuit began on September 7, 1994, when honey bee business owner John Black and his employee, Alejandro Mercado, decided to move some beehives that Black was buying from Curtis Wilhelrn, Wilhelm, a member of the Rio Grande Valley Beekeepers Association, was, like Black, active in the local beekeeping industry. To assist in the moving of the hives, Black asked Santos Flores Si, to assist him and Mercado on a onetime basis, Flores agreed and Black provided him with a protective suit and veil. At no time, however, was Flores told about possible medical risks associated with bee stings.
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