BELLEVILLE — An East St. Louis resident is suing motorist Melissa Montgomery and vehicle manufacturer General Motors LLC, alleging that insufficient measures were taken to prevent injuries.
Lester Hilliard filed a complaint in St. Clair County Circuit Court against the defendants, alleging that Montgomery failed to operate her vehicle within the posted speed limit and that the plaintiff was injured in part because his airbag failed to deploy.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that in September 2014, he was operating his 2005 Chevrolet Impala on 38th and St. Clair Avenue and was stopped at a green light, waiting for the roadway to clear so that he could make a left turn, when Montgomery's car struck his vehicle, causing him severe and permanent injuries and the total loss of his Chevrolet. The plaintiff holds the defendants responsible because Montgomery allegedly failed to keep proper lookout, failed to reduce speed in time to avoid the crash and failed to steer her vehicle to avoid the collision, and because General Motors allegedly made a car in which the airbags did not properly deploy.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment in an amount greater than $100,000, plus costs of suit, and such other relief as the court deems just and equitable. He is represented by Roza Gozage of Roza Gozage PC in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 16-L-475