Car careened downhill striking parked vehicle, suit claims

A man claims he suffered severe injuries while sitting in a parked car when another car careened down a hill and struck his vehicle.

Jacob Pickering filed a lawsuit Sept. 17 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Coleman Cromwell.

Pickering claims he parked his car at Motomart located at 286 Southwoods in Columbia on Oct. 31, 2008, when Cromwell, who drove south on Illinois Route 3, struck his vehicle.

"A collision was caused to occur when the vehicle operated by the Defendant struck the vehicle Plaintiff was occupying when Defendant's vehicle veered out of control, down a hillside and onto the parking lot of Motomart," the suit states.

Because of the collision, Pickering sustained severe injuries to his head, jaw, neck, face, shoulders, arms, legs, ribs, spine, spinal cord, joints, skin, muscles, bones, tendons, tissues, nerves, membranes, ligaments, cartilages and vessels, according to the complaint. In addition, he has suffered headaches; head, face, neck, jaw and back pain; soreness; swelling; dizziness; inflammation; limitation of motion; and impaired natural functions because of the collision, the complaint says.

Pickering blames Cromwell for causing the collision, saying Cromwell negligently failed to reduce his speed, failed to avoid driving off a traveled portion of the road and failed to keep a proper lookout.
In his complaint, Pickering seeks a judgment of more than $50,000, plus costs.

Bruce E. Mattea of The Mattea Law Firm in Collinsville will be representing him.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 10-L-481.