Walmart fires back at Tracy Morgan about whose fault it was during the accident that left the former "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" comedian in critical condition.
Lawyers for the largest retailer in the world said on Monday that the actor's injuries were "caused, in whole or in part, by plaintiffs' failure to properly wear an appropriate available seat belt restraint device," and that Morgan and company had "acted unreasonably and in disregard of (their) own best interests," in a court filling obtained by CNN.
Morgan and four others were riding in a limo bus earlier this year along the New Jersey Turnpike when a Walmart truck, driven by Kevin Roper, hit the rear of the bus, causing a multi-car crash. Morgan, 45, was left with broken ribs, nose and leg, according to CNN. His friend, fellow comedian James McNair, was killed.
Roper pleaded not guilty in June to criminal charges that include vehicular homicide and assault by auto, according to the report. It was reported that Report was driving 20 miles over the speed limit and was driving for 24 hours straight for work.
In July, Morgan filed suit against the big box chain, saying the company was negligent for not knowing that Roper had been awake for more than 24 hours at the time of the accident, according to CNN.
"I can't believe Walmart is blaming me for an accident that they caused," Morgan said in a statement. "My friends and I were doing nothing wrong."
On Tuesday, Walmart made another statement.
"Walmart is committed to working to resolve all of the remaining issues as a result of the accident.
As part of the ordinary course of legal proceedings, Walmart filed an initial response yesterday to the lawsuit that included facts and defenses that may impact the case moving forward. While we were required to respond to the lawsuit, we have also taken steps to encourage settlement discussions. Our thoughts continue to go out to everyone involved, and we remain committed to doing what's right."
