Associate Judge Ramona V. Manglona, in her order on Aug. 14, stated that if Byoong Seob Choi and Zhenghong Liu fail to answer or otherwise plead as ordered, a judgment of default may be entered against them.
The charges against the defendants stemmed from the complaint filed by Ramona Sablan Flores and her two minor children through attorney Edward Manibusan.
Choi is the owner of a 2003 White Mitsubishi truck which was involved in a collision with the plaintiff’s car. Liu is Choi’s driver.
According to the plaintiff, she and her two children were traveling northbound in Papago on May 12, 2008 in a careful manner when her car was struck violently by Choi’s car driven by Liu.
She said Choi’s car smashed the left side of the driver and passenger doors with such force that the truck bounced off the plaintiff’s vehicle and struck other vehicles following the plaintiff’s vehicle.
The plaintiff sued the defendants, particularly Liu, for negligence and for negligent entrustment.
She said Liu operated the truck at a dangerous rate of speed under the circumstances and failed to observe due care and precaution to maintain proper control of the truck.
The plaintiff said Liu failed to keep a proper lookout for other vehicles upon the highway, failed to timely apply his brakes and failed to turn his truck in an effort to avoid collision.
The plaintiff said Choi as the car owner should have known that Liu was incompetent or unfit to drive the truck yet he permitted Liu to use the truck which resulted to the collision.
As a result of the defendants’ negligence and carelessness, the plaintiff said she and her children suffered serious and painful bodily injuries, great physical pain and mental anguish and distress in the past and future.
She said they had to undergo medical treatment and incur medical costs and expenses in order to alleviate pain and suffering.
The plaintiff said she was temporarily precluded from engaging in normal activities including the loss of income and actual earnings, and property damage.
The plaintiff asked the court for relief against the defendants on May 20, 2009 for actual damages, for both current and future pain and suffering, mental anguish and distress, for costs of suit and attorney’s fees and for all other relief the court deems proper.
