Tyler woman sues following rear-end collision in Louisiana

MARSHALL - Following a motor vehicle collision in Louisiana, a Tyler woman has filed a lawsuit claiming she suffered disabling injuries when an AutoZone employee failed to stop and caused a rear-end collision.

Rhonda Parks filed suit against AutoZone Inc. on March 20 in the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division.

The accident occurred on May 4, 2012, as Rhonda Parks was driving a 2011 Ford Edge vehicle and was stopped in the left hand lane on Thomas Road in West Monroe, La.

An employee of the defendant, Samantha Tello, was driving a Ford Ranger pickup and rather than stopping behind the stopped vehicles, she changed lanes to the left lane and collided with Parks.

Tello is accused of failing to keep a proper lookout, failing to control her speed, failing to slow to avoid a collision, failing to turn her vehicle to avoid the collision, and changed lanes when it was unsafe to do so.

Tello is accused of negligence for the manner in which she operated her company vehicle.  According to the lawsuit, the defendant is legally liable for Tello’s negligent acts pursuant to the theories of respondeat superior and vicarious liability.

The plaintiff is seeking an award of damages for physical pain, mental anguish, emotional pain, torment and suffering, medical expenses, physical impairment, physical disfigurement, loss of earnings, loss of earning capacity, interest, and court costs.

Parks is represented by Keith Miller of Law Office of Keith Miller in Tyler and Blake C. Erskine of Erskine & McMahon LLP in Longview. A jury trial is requested.

U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:13-cv-00224