Judge Upholds $6 Million Verdict in Truck Crash Death

A federal judge denied requests for a new trial or reduced damages in the 2020 death of John Barnes near Springfield.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Trucks

Judge Upholds $6 Million Verdict in Truck Crash Death

U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless upheld a $6 million jury verdict for the family of John Barnes, who died in a 2020 truck crash near a rest stop south of Springfield. In an order filed October 30, she denied the defendants' requests for a new trial, judgment revision, or damages reduction.

Why it matters

The ruling leaves in place a verdict that reduced an initial award of more than $10 million by Barnes' 40% share of liability. It shows how a jury can split fault between a driver and a motorist in a highway collision case.

The jury awarded $525,000 for loss of benefits, goods and services, $2.5 million for grief, sorrow and mental suffering, and $7 million for loss of society and companionship. Hegger was driving about 18 mph in a 70-mph zone when Barnes' truck, at roughly 73 mph, struck the trailer.

The players

Colleen Lawless

A U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois who presided over the case and denied the defendants' post-trial motions.

Greenwood Motor Lines

A trucking company named as a defendant in the negligence and vicarious liability suit brought by the Barnes family.

The details

Barnes was driving a box truck around 5:20 a.m. when he hit the back of an R+L Carriers trailer that driver Michal Hegger had pulled onto the interstate eight to 11 seconds ahead of him. Barbara Barnes sued Greenwood Motor Lines and Hegger for negligence and vicarious liability, and the defendants argued that Barnes' tramadol use and Hegger's non-proximate traffic violations should limit responsibility.

2020: Truck crash near a rest stop south of Springfield kills John Barnes.
Around 5:20 a.m. on the crash day: Barnes' box truck strikes the back of the R+L Carriers trailer.
October 30: Judge Colleen Lawless denies the defendants' requests to revisit the verdict.

Roadmap

The case sits alongside prior Northern District of Illinois rulings on trucking collision damages, showing how jury verdicts in these cases are weighed against bench trial outcomes. It reflects the ongoing legal scrutiny of comparative fault when a passenger vehicle strikes a slower-moving or stopped commercial truck.

Trucking companies and their drivers face potential liability for collisions in which a driver's speed and lane-change timing are contested in court. Motorists sharing highways with heavy trucks may see such rulings reinforce how fault is divided after a rear-end collision.

The takeaway

Commercial drivers and motorists alike should keep safe following distances and reduced speeds around heavy trucks, since fault in such crashes can be shared in court.