The city of Anderson has been sued by a woman whose car was struck last year by an unmarked police car driven by Anderson Police Chief Dale Webb.

In a lawsuit filed May 28 in Shasta County Superior Court, Sabra Dell Brooks, 42, alleges that she’s been unable to work and has suffered “great mental, physical and nervous pain and suffering” as the result of the March 5, 2007 wreck.

She alleges that the city in August rejected her claim to pay her for her lost time off as well as the medical bills she incurred after the wreck and bills to follow, the suit says.

“The fact of the matter is, however, that most government agencies deny’ these claims as a matter of course, which then forces the injured party to go to court,” Todd Slaughter, Brooks’ Redding attorney, said in an e-mail.

Webb said Monday he was unaware of the suit and declined to comment on the litigation

Anderson City Manager Scott Morgan said the city has since paid for the property-damage portion of Brooks’ claim, but her attorney rejected an offer from the city’s insurers to pay for her medical bills.

“Obviously, we recognized this is our fault and our responsibility,” Morgan said. “The debate is now over the extent of the damage.”

He declined to say how much the city offered Brooks.

The suit isn’t specific about damages being sought, but it is classified as “unlimited,” meaning it seeks more than $25,000.

Redding police said that Brooks was driving her car on Lake Boulevard in Redding when Webb’s car suddenly pulled out in front of her.

The crash sent her and her then 4-year-old son, Ryder William Bye, to a hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and released, Redding police said at the time.

Slaughter on Monday declined to describe Brooks’ injuries.

“As it turns out, the injuries were more serious than initially thought and caused significant suffering for many months,” Slaughter said. “I prefer not to go into any more detail at this time as I do not want to ‘try’ the case in the paper.”

Webb suffered a separated shoulder and a cut on his elbow in the wreck. He said Monday that he’s completely recovered.

Capt. Robert Kirvin has said that on the night of the crash, Webb was working with his friend Lt. Dave Kirk of Michigan’s Shiawassee County Sheriff’s Department.

The two were looking for an address in Redding for an investigation of a Michigan cold case, Kirvin said.

While searching for the address, Webb pulled over to the side of the road, thinking that he had passed it, Kirvin said.

When Webb pulled back into the road to reach a left-turn lane, his car was broadsided by another car.

The police car was totaled.

Webb was cited after the wreck and paid $144 in fines and fees for unsafely pulling out from a parked position, or an “unsafe starting maneuver,” electronic superior court records show.

Brooks also was fined more than $700 for not having her son in a child safety seat, which was her second offense, court records show.