City of Bend sued over snowplow-pickup collision
A Deschutes County resident is suing the city of Bend and a snowplow operator for nearly $300,000, accusing the city worker of catching his pickup truck with the plow blade, causing his pickup to lift into the air and drop to the ground.
The personal injury lawsuit was filed Wednesday by an attorney for Brian Fletcher in Deschutes County Circuit Court, naming the city and snowplow operator Tony Cota as defendants.
According to the complaint, the collision occurred the morning of Nov. 25, 2015, as Fletcher was driving north on Northeast Purcell Boulevard and the plow was heading south “when the front blade of the plow caught the driver’s side rear wheel” of Fletcher’s 2015 Dodge Ram pickup, “lifting the vehicle into the air and dropping it to the ground.”
The crash caused injuries outlined in the suit that included herniated left lumbar disc that required surgery, as well as other injuries, headaches, neck strain and pain.
The complaint alleges Cota was negligent for failing to keep the plow under proper control, keep a proper lookout and/or “drive at a speed that is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances.”
The lawsuit seeks up to nearly $48,000 for economic damages and $250,000 in noneconomic damages. Online court records indicate the city has not yet been served with the suit.
