A U.S. Circuit Court has substantially reduced the penalty levied on Wabash for a fatal motor vehicle accident in 2019 in which a car struck the back of a nearly stopped Wabash trailer.
The U.S. Circuit determined last week the the punitive damage award in the case, which stood at $450 million, did not align with the company’s constitutional rights, and ordered the punitive damages award reduced to $108 million with the compensatory damages award remaining at $11.5 million.
The case stems from a 2019 accident in which two men were killed when their vehicle, traveling 55 mph at the time, collided with the rear impact guard of a 2004 Wabash National trailer. Wabash shared during the initial case the underride guard in the collision well exceeded both the current National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standard and the standard at the time of the crash.
Wabash states the accident occurred nearly two decades after the trailer involved was manufactured by Wabash in compliance with all applicable regulations. Wabash also states it continues to believe both the damages remain abnormally high and the verdict is not supported by the facts or the law. The company continues to evaluate all available legal options.
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"Wabash stands firmly behind the quality and safety of all its products, and this ruling will not prevent the company from continuing to provide its customers with products that contribute to safer roads," the company says.
