Tracy Morgan exits hospital, sues Wal-Mart

Tracy Morgan exits hospital, sues Wal-Mart

A spokesperson for Morgan confirms that the crash survivor will soon be a litigant.

Comedian Tracy Morgan left a hospital’s rehabilitation center after spending nearly 30 days in recovery following a crash on the New Jersey Turnpike that occurred in June, according to the Chicago Tribune.

He is leaving the rehabilitation center to continue his recovery at home.

“Tracy has been released from the rehabilitation center and will continue his recovery efforts at home with an aggressive outpatient program,” said his spokesperson, Lewis Kay, in a statement.

In addition, Morgan, 45, filed a federal lawsuit in a New Jersey court against Wal-Mart Stores Inc., alleging that the company knew or should have known that its driver was not in compliance with federal regulations put in place to lessen driver fatigue.

On June 7, the limousine that Morgan was riding in with three other comedians was struck from behind by a Wal-Mart semi truck driven by Kevin Roper.

Morgan suffered a broken leg and ribs. Two others, Ardley Fuqua and Jeffrey Millea, were also injured.

James McNair, who is also known as Jimmy Mack, died in the crash.

Prosecutors charged Roper with vehicular homicide and assault-by-auto last month. He pleaded not guilty.

In the lawsuit, Morgan argues that “as a result of Wal-Mart’s gross, reckless, willful, wanton, and intentional conduct, it should be appropriately punished with the imposition of punitive damages.”

The exact punitive damages requested by the lawsuit were undisclosed.

“We know it will take some time to resolve all of the remaining issues as a result of the accident, but we’re committed to doing the right thing for all involved,” said Wal-Mart in a statement.

Roper was traveling 20 miles over the speed limit and had spent 13.5 hours at work on his shift at the time of the accident, a report by federal transportation safety investigators concluded.

Federal regulations allow truck drivers to work up to 14 hours a day, 11 of which may be spent driving.

In the lawsuit, Morgan also alleges that the semi driver had been awake for more than 24 hours, had fallen asleep at the wheel at the time of the crash and that his more than 700-mile commute from his home in Georgia to work in Delaware is “unreasonable.”

The other crash victims are also named as plaintiffs in Morgan’s lawsuit against Wal-Mart.

 

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