Million-dollar big rig collision case settles

Two defendants in a suit filed over a tractor-trailer collision case that sought more than $1 million in damages have settled with the plaintiff.

Stonewall resident Andrea Calhoun filed suit against American Industrial Minerals and Henry Trahan Jr. on Nov. 10, 2010, in Jefferson County District Court. Calhoun alleges she was injured when a tractor-trailer failed to change lanes at a safe time and struck her vehicle.

The case was set to go to trial on Nov. 14, but Judge Donald Floyd, 172nd District Court, granted the defendants' motion for continuance that same morning.

A month later, an agreed take nothing judgment was entered, stating that the parties had reached a settlement, court papers.

Court records show that the defendants filed their motion for continuance on Nov. 10, arguing that "in the past few months, there have been significant events that have occurred which have changed the case from a simple soft tissue case into a case for which the plaintiff seeks in excess of one million dollars."

"Unfortunately, plaintiff and her counsel continue to change the issues in this case and have prevented defendants from thoroughly evaluating the case...," the motion states, adding that one of the plaintiff's experts has recently opined that she will have upwards of $8,000 in future lost wages.

The judgment does not disclose the settlement amount.

In her suit, Calhoun claims that on April 1, 2010, she was driving south on Texas 73 when Trahan, who drove a tractor-trailer owned by American Industrial, improperly changed lanes and struck her vehicle.

Clay Dugas and Mike Jacobellis of Beaumont represent the plaintiff.

Houston attorney Noel Anne Lewandos represents the defendants.

Case No. E188-773