Failure to yield leads to lawsuit

A Winnsboro woman has filed suit against an environmental company and its driver who she claims collided with her after failing to yield at a stop sign.

Lashonda T. Rudolph claims she was driving east on the 900 block of 14th Street in Port Arthur on July 5, 2008, when defendant Harold D. Pellum, who was driving on the 1400 block of Atlanta, failed to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign and collided with her.

Because of the collision, Rudolph suffered physical pain, mental anguish, physical disfigurement and physical impairment; incurred medical costs; lost her earning capacity and her household services; suffered property damage; lost the use of her vehicle; incurred repair costs; and lost wages, according to the complaint filed June 8 in Jefferson County District Court.

Pellum negligently failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to apply his brakes to avoid the collision, drove too fast, failed to swerve to avoid the collision, failed to grant immediate use of the road to Rudolph, failed to enter the intersection only when he could have safely done so and failed to yield the right-of-way at a stop sign, the suit states.

In her complaint, Rudolph is seeking damages within the jurisdictional limits of Jefferson County District Court, plus pre-judgment interest at the highest rate allowed by law, post-judgment interest at the legal rate, costs and other relief to which he may be entitled.

James M. Lassiter III and Timothy M. McHale of Lassiter Law Firm in Houston will be representing her.

The case has been assigned to Judge Milton Shuffield, 136th District Court.

Jefferson County District Court case number: D187-026.