Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Schriever tow truck company in Bayou Blue crash
Lawyers for the mother of a Thibodaux man killed in a crash in late 2021 have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Schriever tow truck company.
The suit was filed May 10 in Lafourche by Thibodaux attorneys David Ardoin and Beau S. Brooks on behalf of Lora Benoit, whose son, Christopher Benoit, 29, was killed in a head-on collision Dec. 17 on Bayou Blue Road, court records show.
The lawsuit names Jacob Ford, D&C Inc., Cynthia Morvant Lajaunie and David W. Lajaunie as defendants, along with several insurance companies.
Related: Thibodaux man killed, another person injured in head-on crash in Bayou Blue
According to State Police, the crash occurred just after 1 p.m. along the two-lane highway near Maggie Lane.
Christopher Benoit was driving south in a 2019 Nissan Versa when a 2013 Kenworth tow truck driven by Ford crossed the centerline and struck the car head-on, police said. After impact, both vehicles came to rest off the roadway in a ditch.
Ford was wearing a seat belt and suffered no injuries, according to State Police.
Though he was wearing a seat belt, Christopher Benoit suffered severe injuries and died at a hospital. Lora Benoit, who was also wearing a seat belt, was hospitalized with moderate injuries, authorities said.
Impairment was not considered a factor in the crash. Ford submitted to a breath test that indicated no alcohol present. However Ford was cited for driving left of center, State Police said.
Though no criminal charges were filed in connection with the crash, the lawsuit accuses Ford of negligence by violating traffic laws, failing to maintain a proper lookout, failing to keep his truck under proper control, failing to take necessary precautions, driving recklessly and inattention.
Because Ford was employed by D&C Inc. at the time of the crash, the Schriever-based company is liable, according to the lawsuit.
“Therefore, the negligent acts of the driver, Jacob M. Ford, was operating the aforementioned vehicle in the scope of his employment with D&C Inc., thereby making the fault of Jacob M. Ford legally imputable to defendants, Cynthia Morvant Lajaunie and David W. Lajaunie, thereby making the latter liable, with the other defendants, for damages sued for herein,” the lawsuit says.
The defendants are accused of “causing pain and suffering, mental anguish and anxiety" to the crash victim and his family.
"Upon information and belief, as a result of this accident, the decedent, Christopher A. Benoit Jr. suffered excruciating pain and mental anguish until he died," the suit says. “In addition, Lora Benoit, as the mother of Christopher A. Benoit Jr. … suffered severe and debilitating mental anguish and emotional distress due to her witnessing the accident and her son’s injuries. As a result of the accident, Lora Benoit sustained serious and permanent disabling injuries which have not resolved to date and which petitioner believes to be permanent.”
The suit seeks unspecified damages plus legal fees and court costs.
D&C Inc. could not be reached for comment Thursday.
— Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 448-7639 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: Wrongful death lawsuit filed in Bayou Blue crash
