ST. LOUIS — Children of a deceased motorist are suing a trucking company and its vehicle driver for alleged negligence that led to a collision.
Damonic Sleet and Damon Lavell Sleet Jr. filed a complaint on April 4, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against the defendants, alleging that defendant Thomas Ball of Macon, Ga., failed his duty to use the highest degree of care in the operation of his commercial vehicle.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs' father, Damon Sleet, was attempting to get his vehicle running again when it broke down in the right lane of eastbound Interstate 70. The plaintiffs claim that while their father was putting gas in his truck, his vehicle was struck, causing severe injuries that led to his untimely death.
As a result, the siblings claim they suffered pain, mental anguish and loss of companionship.
The plaintiffs hold Waletich Corp., doing business as Waletich Transportation, and driver Ball responsible because Ball allegedly failed to keep an appropriate following distance, failed to timely apply brakes and failed to take appropriate evasive action while driving within the scope of his employment.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek judgment in an amount in excess of $75,000 exclusive of interest and costs, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest and whatever further relief the court deems just. They are represented by Robert Radice of Horas, Radice and Associates LLC in St. Louis and Craig Sico and Jeffrey Richter of Sico, Hoelscher, Harris and Braugh LLP in Corpus Christi, Texas.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Case number 4:17-cv-01245