Tracy Morgan sues Wal-Mart for negligence in crash

Bentonville, Ark. – Comedian Tracy Morgan has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores claiming the company was negligent in a June 2014 automobile accident involving one of its truck drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike. On June 7, Wal-Mart truck driver Kevin Roper, 35, allegedly swerved to miss an auto on the New Jersey Turnpike and instead struck a limousine bus carrying Morgan and several associates.



The accident left Morgan, who was released from a rehabilitation center to continue recovering at home on July 12, critically injured and killed one of Morgan’s associates, comedian James McNair. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Trenton, New Jersey, on June 10, seeks unspecified damages.



“Wal-Mart knew or should have known that its drivers were routinely fatigued, thus putting themselves and others on the road in danger, because in addition to working long shifts driving trucks, they regularly commuted hundreds of miles to get to work,” states Morgan’s complaint.



Roper was charged with four counts of assault by auto and one count of death by auto. New Jersey State Police are investigating the crash, which also caused a chain reaction accident with another tractor trailer truck, an SUV and two cars. No passengers in any of the other cars were injured.