Truck driver negligently pulled from emergency lane, suit claims

A woman has filed suit against the truck driver who she claims suddenly pulled from an emergency lane into the highway in front of the vehicle in which she was riding.

Shana Harr filed a lawsuit Jan. 11 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Kostelac Grease Service and Clifford V. Hanson.

In her complaint, Harr claims she rode in the front passenger seat of a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix Troy DeRossett was driving south on Interstate 255 on Jan. 23, 2012. At the same time, Hanson had stopped the 2008 Mack truck he was driving for Kostelac in the emergency lane. Suddenly, Hanson attempted to reenter the Interstate, according to the complaint.

“Defendant Hanson did so without maintaining a careful lookout or reaching the minimum posted speed of 45-miles-per-hour,” the suit states.

In turn, DeRossett struck the back of the trailer Hanson was hauling, the complaint says.

Because of the collision, Harr claims she sustained severe, permanent and progressive injuries, including traumatic injury to the brain, and incurred numerous medical costs. She also lost her earnings and her capacity to work, suffered great pain and mental anguish and lost her enjoyment of life, according to the complaint.

Harr blames Hanson for causing the collision, saying he negligently stopped a heavy commercial vehicle in an emergency lane without a proper reason, failed to properly light his stopped vehicle, failed to ensure that all of the lighting on the back of his vehicle was working, drove without reasonable lighting, failed to keep a proper lookout and failed to yield the right-of-way, among other negligent acts.

In her complaint, Harr is seeking a judgment of more than $250,000, plus costs.

Kevin J. Davidson, David M. Zevan and Rachel L. Roman of The Zevan and Davidson Law Firm in St. Louis will be representing her.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 13-L-22.