Washington Companies Employee Destroyed Crucial Evidence in Federal Court Case

Jan 29, 2020 06:00 JST

Source: ETON Transportation

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jan 29, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Komatsu America Corp., Komatsu Equipment Company (KEC) and Modern Machinery Co., Inc. of Rochester, WA, are being sued by Environmental Transportation of Nevada, LLC (ETON) for contributory negligence in the destruction of a bridge over Interstate 5 in Washington state.

On July 20, 2016, a semi-truck hauling a pair of Komatsu excavators hit the overpass spanning Interstate 5 near Chehalis, WA, causing significant structural damage.

The suit alleges that Komatsu America's agent Modern Machinery failed to load the excavators properly and in accordance with Komatsu's published shipping dimensions for the equipment under transport.

During depositions, it was discovered that two incident reports had been made. However, the incident report created by the yard manager who loaded the truck too tall was destroyed as part of key evidence in the ongoing trial. The second incident report was submitted by a Modern Machinery manager, which included incorrect and additional information that was not consistent with the event.

Modern Machinery a part of a large consortium of privately held companies collectively known as the Washington Companies, owned by billionaire Dennis R. Washington. Modern Machinery sells and rents high quality heavy equipment and provides product support to the construction, mining, and forestry industries. The Modern Machinery terminal in Rochester, WA is a home to a large staging area for a variety of Komatsu product brought from overseas awaiting shipment to other Komatsu dealers.

ETON is a Las Vegas-based premier transportation company serving the Western United States with equipment, professional drivers and superior on-time service.

Komatsu America Corp. is a U.S. subsidiary of Komatsu Ltd., the world's second largest manufacturer and supplier of earth-moving equipment, consisting of construction, mining and compact construction equipment. Komatsu America also serves forklift and forestry markets. Through its distributor network, Komatsu offers a state-of-the-art parts and service program to support its equipment. Komatsu has proudly been providing high-quality reliable products for nearly a century.

CONTACT:
Mitchell Truman
+1-702-348-6370
www.ETON.me

Source: ETON Transportation
Sectors: Legal & Compliance