A Harris County resident has filed a lawsuit seeking over $1,000,000 in damages following a car accident that left him with severe injuries. Jarvis Johnson filed the complaint on June 3, 2024, in the District Court of Harris County against Wanda Hillsman, Lonnie Ray Blate, and 7-Eleven, Inc.
According to the court documents, the incident occurred on September 19, 2022. Wanda Hillsman was driving on 1960 E near the Briarcreek intersection when she attempted to turn left into a private drive. At that time, Hillsman was employed by 7-Eleven and was performing her job duties. The lawsuit alleges that Hillsman turned in front of another vehicle driven by Lonnie Ray Blate, who may have been speeding. In an attempt to avoid colliding with Hillsman's vehicle, Blate swerved into oncoming traffic and crashed into Johnson's car.
Johnson claims he suffered multiple injuries from the collision, including broken bones in his ankle and foot, scarring, and seizures. The plaintiff argues that these injuries were directly caused by the negligence of both Hillsman and Blate. Specifically, Johnson accuses Hillsman of failing to look for oncoming traffic and not yielding appropriately. Additionally, he contends that Blate was driving at unsafe speeds and took dangerous evasive actions.
The lawsuit further asserts that 7-Eleven is vicariously liable for Hillsman's actions since she was acting within the scope of her employment at the time of the accident. "Defendant Employer is vicariously liable for the acts of Defendant Driver Hillsman," states Johnson in his petition.
In terms of relief sought from the court, Johnson is asking for monetary compensation exceeding $1,000,000 to cover medical expenses—both past and future—physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, and lost wages. He also seeks pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as allowed by law.
The case has been assigned to Judge Taiasha Bradford in Harris County's 334th Judicial District Court under Case ID: 2024-34895. Patrick J. O'Hara from O'Hara Law Firm P.C., located in Houston, Texas represents Jarvis Johnson.