Coca-Cola sued over man's rear-end collision

A man has filed suit against Coca-Cola and one of its employees, alleging he was injured after a collision.

Mario Lopez Velazquez was driving north on Greenmount Road near its intersection with Lebanon Avenue on March 17, 2007, and was stopped behind other vehicles at a red light, according to the complaint filed March 13 in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

At the same time, Kyle Morgan, who was driving a 1999 Chevrolet Astro north on Greenmount Road for his job at Central State Coca-Cola, rear-ended Velazquez, the suit states.

Because of the collision, Velazquez claims he sustained injuries to his head, face, ears, neck, back, shoulders, arms, hands, legs and feet and was hindered from attending to his usual duties and affairs.

He also lost large sums of money, suffered great pain and anguish, incurred medical costs, experienced a great disability and lost his normal life, according to the complaint.

Morgan was negligent by failing to keep a proper lookout, by failing to observe Velaquez's vehicle, by driving too fast for the circumstances, by failing to keep his vehicle under control, by failing to apply his brakes, by failing to decrease his speed to avoid a collision and by failing to turn to avoid a collision, the suit states.

Velaquez claims Morgan also negligently failed to give proper warnings and failed to stop his vehicle.

In the two-count suit, Velaquez is seeking a judgment of more than $100,000, plus costs.

He is represented by Scott Hassebrock of Mascoutah.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-0140.