Beaumont residents claim injuries in lawsuit filed against driver

Three people claim they suffered various injuries after a driver failed to yield the right-of-way and struck the side of their vehicle. 

Merla Simon, Adrienne Thomas and Taylor Thomas claim Adrienne Thomas was driving south in the 1200 block of South 11^th Street on July 9 when defendant Gloria Pugh Lambert attempted to turn north on South 11^th from a driveway.

However, Lambert failed to yield the right-of-way and crashed into the back rear driver’s side of Adrienne Thomas’s vehicle, according to the complaint filed Jan. 29 in Jefferson County District Court.

At the time of the collision, Merla Simon and Taylor Thomas were riding as passengers in the vehicle, the suit states.

Because of the accident, Simon suffered back injuries while Taylor Thomas sustained head, neck and back injuries, the complaint says. All three plaintiffs also incurred medical costs; experienced mental anguish, physical pain and disability; lost their normal lives; and endured physical impairment, the complaint says.

In their complaint, the plaintiffs blame the driver for causing the collision, saying she negligently failed to yield the right-of-way, failed to maintain control of her vehicle, failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to timely apply her brakes, drove in a negligent and unsafe manner and drove inattentively.

The plaintiffs seek a judgment in excess of the minimum jurisdictional limits of Jefferson County District Court, plus costs, pre- and post-judgment interest and other relief the court deems just.

James E. Payne and Ronnie Turner Jr. of Provost and Umphrey Law Firm in Beaumont will be representing them.

The case has been assigned to Judge Donald Floyd, 172^nd District Court.

Case No. E193-870