Beaumont man accused of causing crash in Port Arthur

A Beaumont man is accused of ramming into the side of a pickup truck and causing serious injuries to its passenger.

Penny Cade filed the complaint against Jim Crawford Jr. on Aug. 12 in Jefferson County District Court. 

Cade says she was a passenger in a Dodge Ram pickup truck going west on state Highway 73 in Port Arthur on Sept. 12, 2012. She says Crawford, driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck, slammed into the side of the Dodge Ram. Cade contends Crawford made an unsafe lane change and caused the collision.

Cade alleges her neck and back were seriously hurt in the crash. She accuses Crawford of negligence for allegedly failing to control his vehicle and failing to operate at a safe speed in a safe manner. 

Cade seeks an unspecified amount of money in damages to compensate for medical expenses, physical pain and mental anguish. Attorney Barry C. Bennett of Bennett Legal in Beaumont represents Cade. They request a trial by jury. 

The case number is Jefferson County District Court case D-195966.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at Jefferson 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.