Plaza Frontenac parking lot accident is subject of suit

An Illinois resident and her husband claim serious head, neck and back injuries after a Granite City woman collided with her in an intersection.

Geraldine Stathis was driving a 1996 Oldsmobile on Feb. 3, 2007, east in Plaza Frontenac parking lot and was proceeding into the intersection of 1701 South Lindbergh Boulevard when the collision occurred, according to the complaint filed Feb. 2 in Madison County Circuit Court.

At the same time, Malene Tolbert was driving a 2005 Chevrolet north in the same parking lot and was attempting to make a right-hand turn east at the intersection of 1701 South Lindbergh Boulevard when she struck Geraldine Stathis, the suit states.

Because of the accident and the injuries she sustained during it, Geraldine Stathis claims her ability to walk and her gait were affected and she incurred medical costs.

She also sustained great pain and mental anguish, disability and loss of a normal life, according to the complaint.

James Stathis, Geraldine Stathis' husband, suffered the loss of her services, has been hindered from attending to his usual business affairs and was greatly injured and inconvenienced because of his wife's accident, the suit states.

Tolbert was negligent by failing to keep her vehicle under proper control, by driving too fast, by failing to stop at a stop sign, by failing to yield the right-of-way, by failing to take evasive action to avoid an accident, by failing to maintain a proper lookout for other vehicles and by driving through the stop sign into the intersection without determining whether it was safe to do so, the suit states.

Geraldine Stathis alleges Tolbert also negligently failed to yield the right-of-way to Geraldine Stathis' vehicle that was already in the intersection, failed to sound her horn to warn of impending collision and attempted to make a right-hand turn when it was not safe to do so.

In the two-count suit, Geraldine and James Stathis are seeking a judgment in excess of $100,000 plus costs.

Steven E. Katzman of Katzman and Associates in Belleville will be representing her.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-0087.