Sanitation workers claim injuries on lunch break

A woman claims she sustained mouth, teeth, head, neck, back and rib injuries after a driver of a vehicle in which she rode crashed.

Christina Ladue filed a lawsuit May 14 in Madison County Circuit Court against Devon Womack and Metro-East Sanitation District.

Ladue claims she and others began contract work for Metro-East Sanitary District at a job site on a levy near the Mississippi River. At about 11 a.m. on June 8, 2009, Ladue, Womack and other workers decided to take a break for lunch, and had to be transported via a van to find food in Madison County, according to the complaint.

So, Ladue and her co-workers piled into a van Womack began to drive to the lunch site when the vehicle went out of control and crashed, the suit states.

Because of the accident, Ladue became sick, sore, lame, disordered and disabled; suffered great pain and anguish; sustained internal derangement to the injured parts of her body; incurred medical costs; and became prevented from earning money, the complaint says.

Ladue blames Womack for causing the accident, saying he failed to keep the van under control, failed to drive at a proper speed, failed to reduce his speed to avoid a collision and drove recklessly.

In her three-count suit, Ladue seeks a judgment of more than $150,000, plus costs and other relief the court deems just.

Richard G. Reed of Reed and Bruhn in Belleville will be representing her.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-519.