A tragic accident has led to a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The complaint, lodged by Pharren Perkins on November 12, 2024, accuses Swift Transportation of Arizona LLC and other parties of negligence and liability in the death of Treddis Russell. The lawsuit seeks justice for the loss of a husband and father, claiming that multiple failures led to the fatal crash.
The incident occurred on November 11, 2023, when Treddis Russell was driving his Toyota Camry eastbound on Interstate 12 near exit 57. A construction zone required all truck traffic to use the left lane, but Ralph King, operating a semi-trailer owned by Swift Transportation, allegedly crossed into the right lane without proper signaling. This unexpected maneuver resulted in Russell crashing into the rear of King's trailer. Tragically, Russell was trapped under the trailer and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Perkins argues that this incident was preventable and points to several alleged failures by Swift Transportation and its associates.
The lawsuit claims that Swift Transportation and Frontier Trailer Company were aware of recalls related to safety defects in their trailers but failed to address them. The complaint details how these defects included faulty welds and bolts that compromised the trailer's integrity during high-impact collisions. It further alleges that King violated traffic laws by crossing solid lines in a construction zone without using blinkers or adhering to speed limits. "Defendants acted with conscious disregard for safety," asserts Perkins in her complaint.
Perkins is seeking damages for loss of consortium, emotional distress, funeral expenses, and more. She demands both compensatory and punitive damages exceeding jurisdictional limits to hold the defendants accountable for their actions.
Representing Perkins is attorney Carl A. Perkins from Covington, Louisiana. The case has been assigned Case ID 2:24-cv-02662 with no judge listed yet.