Pedestrian sues man who hit him in Kemah parking lot

GALVESTON - League City resident Robert E. Thompson says a vehicle driven by Kemah native Joe Stanford Butcher hit him more than a year ago.

In a lawsuit filed March 17 in Galveston County Court at Law No. 2, Thompson claims Butcher violated numerous traffic rules and regulations when the defendant's 1998 Saturn collided with him on Aug. 9, 2009.

The plaintiff explains that the alleged accident occurred just as he was walking in the pedestrian crosswalk in the parking lot of the Kemah Wal-Mart.

"At the time of the collision, the defendant was operating his vehicle negligently," the original petition says.

"The impact from being struck by the defendant's vehicle caused the plaintiff to sustain severe injuries."

Thompson blames Butcher for "failing to maintain a proper lookout, failing to make a timely application of his brakes, failing to yield the right of way, being inattentive and failing to maintain proper control of his vehicle, operating his vehicle in a reckless manner and violating one or more statuses which constitute negligence."

"Each of the acts and omissions, singularly or in combination with others, constituted negligence which proximately caused the occurrence and the plaintiff's severe injuries and damages," the suit says.

Consequently, Thompson seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.

He is represented by attorney Larry P. Walton of Houston.

Galveston County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Barbara Roberts is presiding over the case.

Cause No. 64,927