A woman claims she incurred more than $100,000 in medical costs when a driver rear-ended her while traveling at more than 50 miles per hour.
Stephanie Marie Chapa filed a lawsuit July 21 in the Galveston County District Court against Krystal Marie Nichols and Karen Blevins.
In her complaint, Chapa alleges she was driving west on State Highway 87 in Galveston on Nov. 29, when she stopped at a red light. Nichols, who was driving at a speed of about 50 miles per hour in the same direction, failed to notice Chapa at the red light, according to the complaint.
She was talking on her cell phone when she struck the back of Chapa’s vehicle, the suit alleges.
Following the collision, Chapa claims she was unconscious and was transported to John Sealy UTMB Hospital were she was treated overnight. Since then, Chapa has incurred medical costs of more than $100,000 to help ease her pain, according to the complaint.
Because of the collision, Chapa suffered physical pain and mental anguish, endured disfigurement and physical impairment and lost her earning capacity, the suit states. She also lost the enjoyment of her bodybuilding and fitness modeling career, the complaint says.
Chapa blames Nichols for causing the collision saying she negligently failed to keep a proper distance, failed to turn to avoid a collision, failed to control her vehicle, failed to keep a proper lookout, used her cell phone while driving, failed to timely yield to traffic, failed to drive with due regard for the safety of all people, failed to properly control her speed and drove too fast.
In addition to Nichols, Blevins is named as a defendant. Blevins negligently entrusted her vehicle to Nichols, an incompetent and reckless driver, according to the complaint.
Chapa seeks compensatory damages in excess of the minimum jurisdictional limits of the court, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, costs and other relief the court deems just.
She is being represented by attorneys Randy S. Canche and Bradley L. Leger of Leger Adkins in Houston.
Galveston County District Court case number 14-CV-0779
This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Galveston County District Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it represents only one side of the story.