ST. LOUIS – On June 1, Beelman Truck Co. filed a complaint against Raben Tire Co., LLC, and Raben Tire Co. of Missouri LLC in Clayton, Missouri, and Matthew Roper of Kennett, Missouri for costs related to a lawsuit against all parties that arose from a fatal car accident.
In 2015 a complaint was filed in the Circuit Court of St. Clair County, Illinois by Leslie M. White, as special administrator of the estate of Jessica R. White, deceased, and Jessica Richmond. The complaint alleged damages from a vehicle accident on Interstate 55 on April 19, 2015. Beelman, a Beelman employee, Raben Tire Co., LLC, and Raben Tire Co. of Missouri, LLC and Matthew Roper were named as defendants.
On April 19, 2015, Edward Fournie, an employee for Beelman, was driving a company tractor-trailer on Interstate 55 in Illinois when a tire blew out. Fournie contacted Beelman to alert them, who called Raben to fix the tire. Roper arrived and it is alleged he improperly jacked the tractor, causing damage to the cross member/axle and tractor. While they were awaiting a second tow truck to fix the tire, Jessica Richmond was driving with passenger Jessica White heading south on Highway 55. Richmond lost control of the vehicle and hit the rear of the trailer.
A lawsuit was filed in the St. Clair County, Illinois court against Beelman and Raben. Beelman claims they settled with the special administrator for the estate of Jessica R. White and Jessica Richmond for an undisclosed amount of money, to which Raben did not contribute. Beelman states that both parties share negligence.
The complaint seeks contribution and indemnity either totally or in proportion to the relative degree of fault of the plaintiff and defendants, for costs incurred and settling both the claims of Richmond and of White.
The suit seeks damages of $300,000 and $75,000 for the amounts Beelman paid to the settlement for the estate of Jessica Richmond and the settlement for the estate of Jessica White.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri case number 1:18-cv-00122-SNLJ