Defense Tactics in Action

Time and again, we have used this blog as a platform to educate personal injury victims about the lengths that insurance companies and defendants will go to in order to avoid responsibility for the injuries they have caused.  While we often discuss these practices in the abstract, an ongoing high-profile case perfectly illustrates these unseemly practices in action.

As you may recall, on June 7 of this year, comedian Tracy Morgan and several others were injured, and comedian James McNair was killed, when a sleep-deprived Walmart employee crashed a truck into Morgan’s truck-limousine.  While the driver now faces criminal charges, Morgan has filed suit against Walmart seeking compensation for the injuries sustained due to the actions of Walmart’s employee.

Walmart, though, like most defendants, refuses to accept responsibility.  In its Answer to Morgan’s lawsuit, Walmart states that Morgan’s injuries were “caused, in whole or in part, by plaintiffs’ failure to properly wear an appropriate available seat belt restraint device.”  That’s right: after the company’s employee negligently crashed his vehicle into Morgan’s, Walmart claims that it was Morgan’s own fault that he sustained injuries.  Fortunately for Morgan, his celebrity has allowed him to publicly call out Walmart for their unpalatable tactics.

Walmart’s tactics are commonplace in trucking accidents and most other torts.  When corporations and insurance companies have a chance to do the right thing, they typically ignore that opportunity in favor of trying to save money.  The big difference between Morgan’s case and the average case, though, is that most accident victims lack Morgan’s resources and public influence.  When the average person is injured in a truck accident or motor vehicle crash, she will have an uphill battle trying to recover compensation for her injuries.

The good news is that injured victims do not have to take on these corporations and insurance companies alone.  By retaining an experienced truck accident lawyer or motor vehicle accident attorney, victims of negligence can have an advocate fighting for them to ensure that the responsible parties pay for the injuries they cause.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident or motor vehicle accident, contact the Cleveland, Ohio truck accident lawyers at Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA for a free telephone consultation.