A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in connection with a fatal multi-vehicle crash that occurred on Interstate 75 in Tennessee last May, naming companies that have already denied liability.
The accident occurred in May 2025, when a tractor-trailer driven by Joseph Antoinier—who worked for Valparaiso Trucking Corp. transporting goods for Amazon—failed to slow down in response to stopped traffic.
David Jeffery Huggins, 23-year-old Lane Smith, and a child nearly two years old were killed in the accident. The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the Huggins family.
According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the lawsuit alleges negligence, vicarious liability, and failures in hiring, supervision, and safety oversight. The lawsuit names Amazon, Valparaiso Trucking Corp., and Antoinier, and alleges that Amazon set demanding schedules, routes, and delivery expectations for companies that could not safely meet them. The lawsuit alleges that the company committed four safety violations in the year leading up to the accident, and cites Antoinier’s actions and the system that allowed him to transport goods for Amazon.
Antoinier has been charged with two counts of reckless homicide, several counts of reckless endangerment, and aggravated reckless assault.
The owner of Valparaiso Trucking Corp. denies any responsibility for the accident. He asserts that his seven drivers are independent contractors, including Antoinier. He claims that Antoinier “is not a novice,” but rather “a grown man who has been driving for years” and that he must take responsibility for his own actions.
