NEW ORLEANS — Two Jefferson Parish residents suing a trucker and his company, alleging their negligence caused a crash that injured the plaintiffs.
Marvin Gatlin, Tasha Bodie, individually and as mother and natural tutor of Mykalia Collins, a minor, filed a lawsuit June 24 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Sam Grace, EPES Transportation Systems Inc. and National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, alleging the negligently entrusted of a truck to Grace.
According to the complaint, on Feb. 25, Gatlin was driving his vehicle on Manhattan Boulevard, approaching the intersection of Ute Drive, in Jefferson Parish, and Grace, was driving a tractor-trailer directly in front of their vehicle. The suit says, without warning, Grace began to reverse his tractor-trailer, colliding with the front of the plaintiffs' vehicle.
After the initial collision, the lawsuit states, Gatlin, backed up and reversed the tractor-trailer again, colliding with the plaintiffs' vehicle a second time. As a result of the accident, the complaint states, Gatlin, Bodie and Collins sustained severe and debilitating injuries to their mind and body.
The plaintiffs allege Grace failed to maintain proper control over the vehicle, failed to take all precautions to avoid the collision, failed to keep proper lookout, failed to pay attention to the conditions surrounding him and failed to exercise reasonable care.
The plaintiffs seek a trial by jury, damages, legal interest, all legal costs of these proceedings and all general and equitable relief. They are represented by attorneysPatrick H. Hufft of Hufft & Hufft APLC in New Orleans and by Thomas W. Shlosman of Shlosman Law Firm in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-11677