Company seeks dismissal of wrongful death suit
Ace Doran Hauling & Rigging has filed a motion to dismiss a wrongful death complaint filed against them.
Represented by Michael Lawder of St. Louis, Ace Doran Hauling & Rigging argues a company known as Ace Doran Brokerage Company is the company that brokered the load involved in this case.
The estate of Steve DeVries filed the complaint against Metro Contract Services (MCS) and Ace Doran Hauling & Rigging Company alleging DeVries was killed when the load on his tractor trailer fell on top of him.
According to the complaint filed May 29 in Madison County Circuit Court, DeVries was employed by Smith Trucking as a driver from August 2006 through August 2007.
In August 2007, Smith Trucking was hired to haul an enclosed semi-trailer load containing miscellaneous piping machinery and a large control panel to be used in the operation of a water treatment plant.
DeVries' estate alleges he was dispatched to Tower Automotive in Granite City to pick up the load.
According to the complaint, MCS and Ace Doran were the responsible parties who loaded, rigged, arranged, chained, positioned, secured, organized and contracted with other people to load the water treatment plant equipment in DeVries' enclosed semi-trailer.
The estate alleges DeVries departed from Granite City once his trailer was loaded and drove to the Smith parking lot in Bethel Heights, Ark., where the trailer was to remain until he was to depart for the anticipated delivery location in Oklahoma.
DeVries' estate alleges that while in the Smith parking lot the large control panel fell out of the back of his semi-trailer.