Wal-Mart Blames Tracy Morgan After Fatal Crash - East Idaho News
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Wal-Mart Blames Tracy Morgan After Fatal Crash

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ABC 060714 TracyMorgan?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1412020042647ABC/Randy Holmes(NEW YORK) — Wal-Mart is pointing fingers, saying Tracy Morgan and his fellow passengers should’ve worn seatbelts, in a formal response to the lawsuit over the June crash on the New Jersey Turnpike involving one of its drivers.

In court papers, Wal-Mart broadly denied allegations of recklessness and negligence when the vehicle Morgan and his friends were riding in was struck by Wal-Mart truck driver Kevin Roper’s rig and said the plaintiffs’ injuries were caused “by failure to wear an appropriate available seatbelt restraint device.”

Had Morgan and the others been wearing seatbelts Wal-Mart said, “all or a portion of the injuries could have been diminished or minimized.”

Morgan was seriously injured in the crash. He suffered a broken femur, a broken nose and several broken ribs, among other injuries. His friend, comedian James McNair, died.

Wal-Mart declined to answer a specific allegation that its driver, Roper, was fatigued. The company said it can’t because it’s also involved in the National Transportation Safety Board investigation.

But Wal-Mart did say, “the plaintiffs’ alleged damages may have been caused by third parties over whom Wal-Mart had no control.”


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