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Home Front: Culture Wars
Suits Filed by Smuggling Deaths Families
2005-08-03
VICTORIA, Texas - Relatives of seven illegal aliens people who died in the nation's deadliest illegal alien immigrant smuggling attempt have sued the maker of a trailer, a trucking company and the driver. The lawsuits, with allegations ranging from product liability to wrongful death and negligence, seek millions of dollars in damages.
Product liability? Why, cuz they didn't think to put a door knob on the inside of the trailer?
U.S. District Judge John Rainey will hold pretrial hearings beginning Sept. 6.
The smuggling scheme ended in horror in May 2003 when the closed trailer, bound for Houston from South Texas, was abandoned at a truck stop near Victoria. Seventeen illegal aliens people died inside the trailer of dehydration, overheating and suffocation. Two illegal aliens died later.
Horrible way to die, yes. Shouldn't have broken the law sneaking in
The suits name Great Dane Trailers of Savannah, Ga., Salem Truck Leasing and driver Tyrone Williams.
Great Dane having the deepest pockets
None had responded in court as of Tuesday, the Victoria Advocate reported in its Wednesday editions. A call placed late Tuesday to Great Dane Trailers was not answered. The leasing company could not immediately be reached for comment. The relatives in the lawsuits listed six of the illegal aliens victims as being from Mexico and one from Honduras.
Now there's a shocker....

A jury in March convicted Williams on 38 charges of transporting illegal aliens immigrants.
Posted by:Steve

#5  What the suit syas in part is that Great Dane should be liable because there were no warning sighns on the trailer that said people should not be transported in them. Great Dane replied that this is a refrigerated trailer than can only be opened while the trailer is at a standstill and DOT regulations prohibit people from riding in these types of trailers, therefore no warning sign was needed. I think, unless there is an extremely liberal judge, that Great Dane will be dismissed from this suit.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2005-08-03 18:54  

#4  Great Dane has nothing to worry about beyond their counsel trying to generate too much in the way of billable hours over this, something that can be easily killed in the crib. Salem Truck Leasing probably has nothing to fear. Although I don't think it is so, I sure hope that company has no relation to William A. Salem (real reefer units his were) or his pappy slick trucking company operator Albert Salem.
Posted by: MunkarKat   2005-08-03 16:35  

#3  You're right Mrs. D., unfortunately here it's far more likely to go against Great Dane, Salem Truck Leasing, & T. Williams than against the families of the dead.

Product liability? Why, cuz they didn't think to put a door knob on the inside of the trailer?

Yes. One very common products liability test considers whether, in hindsight, the product could have been made in such a way as to prevent the accident / dangerous circumstance without either unduly increasing the price of the product or severely impacting the utility of the product. Other tests are less heinous but no more likely to produce a positive outcome for anyone involved here (and there are numerous liability theories beyond simply products liability that are probably applicable to this case).

Any lawyer in Victoria would be insane not to take this case and they'd be foolish to take it on anything other than a straight contingency fee basis. Lots of money is going to change hands here but don't blame the lawyers or the courts, blame the politicians who wrote the laws.
Posted by: AzCat   2005-08-03 16:22  

#2  This is why summary judgement was invented.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-08-03 14:43  

#1  How could Great Dane have been so negligent as to not provide proper ventillation in their trailers for the illicit transportation of illegal aliens? The inhuman bastards!
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2005-08-03 14:37  

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