Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan has responded to a Monday filing by Walmart where the retail company claims Morgan and his companions in the deadly car crash in June were not wearing seat belts, according to CNN.
"After I heard what Walmart said in court I felt I had to speak out. I can't believe Walmart is blaming me for an accident they caused," said the actor, who suffered broken bones, a broken nose and a broken leg from the crash.
"My friends and I were doing nothing wrong. I want to thank my fans for sticking with me during this difficult time. I'm fighting very hard every day to get back," he said.
His longtime friend, comedian James McNair, died in the car crash, while two other passengers, Ardley Fuqua and Jeffrey Millea, were injured. Walmart employee Kevin Roper, who was driving the tractor trailer that rammed into to rear of the limousine bus Morgan's group was riding in, pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in June, according to BuzzFeed.
Lawyers for the aggrieved party filed a lawsuit in July seeking a jury trial and compensatory and punitive damages. The lawsuit accuses that Walmart was negligent and careless in operating the vehicle and that it should have been aware that Roper had been awake for more than 24 hours.
The complaint alleges that Walmart did not comply with Federal Carrier Safety Administration Regulations, which seeks to avoid the dangers posed by driver fatigue.
In its response filed on Monday, Walmart said that the injuries and death "were caused, in whole or in part, by plaintiff's failure to properly wear an appropriate available seat belt restraint device. It also says that the plaintiffs "acted unreasonably and in disregard of plaintiffs' own best interests" by not wearing seat belts, according to a TMZ report.
Walmart also claims that neither the company nor any of its employees is responsible for the plaintiffs' injuries or death, which they said "may have been caused by third parties over whom Walmart had no control."