A passenger in a tractor trailer claims he was injured when the truck’s brakes suddenly engaged and caused the truck to overturn.
Daimler Trucks North America is facing a suit after an alleged defect in one of their semi-tractor’s automatic braking system caused a driver to suffer injuries.
Norman A. Lanier filed a complaint Nov. 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Daimler Trucks North America LLC, alleging strict product liability and negligence.
According to the complaint, Lanier was a commercial truck driver and was operating a Freightliner Cascadia semi-tractor truck on Interstate 57 in Jefferson County on Nov. 11, 2019, with his partner Lonna Lainer. He claims he was in the sleeper compartment of the Freightliner when the truck’s automatic braking system suddenly engaged due to ice on the roadway. Lanier alleges the truck then left the roadway and overturned, which caused him to suffer serious injuries, loss of income and incur medical treatment expenses.
Lanier claims the defendant’s truck had a defective braking system and it knew or should have known that crashes would occur due to the defect. Lanier alleges the defendant was negligent for its design, testing and manufacturing of the Freightliner’s auto braking system and for its failure to warn of the danger of personal injury and death that could result from the hazard.
Lainer seeks compensation of more than $75,000, trial by jury and all other just relief.
This article was first published in Madison Record.
