SPRINGFIELD – A federal court jury in Springfield awarded around $6 million in damages to the family of a Girard man who died in a trucking collision in 2020.
John Bradley Barnes, 56, was killed Nov. 4, 2020, near the Coalfield rest area on I-55 south of Springfield, according to a news release from the law firm, Levin & Perconti, that represented Barnes’ family.
Barnes’ family sued the trucking company Greenwood Motor Lines and its driver, Michael Christopher Hegger, arguing the collision happened after Hegger illegally parked a double-trailer truck on the interstate shoulder, and then negligently re-entered traffic, causing the crash and killing Barnes.
The jury ruled in favor of the Barnes family, finding the trucking company and Hegger liable for the crash.
The jury found Barnes 40% responsible for the collision and reduced the family’s damages award, resulting in a final judgment of around $6 million, according to the release.
U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless presided over the trial that ended on June 23 and lasted six days.
According to the complaint, Barnes was traveling southbound on I-55 in a 2015 Chevrolet Express (a van) on Nov. 4 in the early morning. Hegger was driving a 2017 International Prostar tractor-trailer.
The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. near milepost 65 in Pitman Township, Montgomery County.
The plaintiff was Barbara Barnes, an independent administrator of the estate of John Barnes.
(The article was updated to fix a typo.)
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Jury awards Springfield-area family $6M following fatal crash
Reporting by Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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By Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal-Register | USA TODAY Network
