Cab company sued over collision

COEUR d’ALENE — A St. Maries man who was struck by a cab while walking along Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene after dark is suing the cab company and its driver.

Lee James said he sustained spinal, head and shoulder injuries when he was struck by a Coeur d’Alene Cab Company cab in the fall of 2015 while walking alongside cars parked in downtown Coeur d’Alene on an October evening as he headed to the Iron Horse tavern and eatery.

Lee was reportedly airborne after being struck. He was reportedly vaulted against the cab’s window, bounced off onto the street and lost consciousness, according to the lawsuit, which names as defendants Steve Doerflinger, the owner of the company, and Donna Bailey, the taxi driver.

James is asking for more than $10,000 in damages to cover medical costs, anxiety and attorney fees.

According to police, the impact of the crash on Sherman Avenue and Sixth Street around 8 p.m., Oct. 10, lifted James out of his shoes, which were found lying in the street.

“Also found near the scene were his cellphone, a pen, a tuft of his hair and a package of gum,” according to a Coeur d’Alene Police report.

Bailey, who was allegedly driving the white taxi van, was sitting on the curb, crying hysterically, when police arrived, according to officers. She told police she was driving west at about 25 mph when James “suddenly appeared in front of her,” according to the report. She struck James with the front right corner of the van.

She was unsure of James’ direction of travel, she told police, but she thought he was walking northwest “in the middle of the block and had no sight of him until right before the impact,” according to the report.

James was on a backboard being loaded into an ambulance when officers arrived. He had a noticeable head wound, police said.

James, who had a St. Maries address at the time of the crash, suffered several fractures, a concussion and lacerations that required treatment in St. Maries, Lewiston and Coeur d’Alene, according to the lawsuit.

Lake City Law Group represents James in the suit, which was assigned to District Judge Rich Christensen.