Nearly six months after the tragic car crash that left Tracy Morgan with long-term brain injuries, a federal judge gave the actor the green light to proceed with his lawsuit against Wal-Mart, whose truck was responsible for the crash, reports MTV News.
Morgan, who is currently in rehab, filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart shortly after the June crash, when the actor’s limo was rear-ended by a semi truck on a New Jersey turnpike.
The truck’s driver, Kevin Roper, who had reportedly been awake for 24 hours at the time of the crash and who is also facing criminal charges, had put in a motion to delay the case until his criminal suit was resolved because new charges could reflect badly upon him. However, on Friday, a federal judge denied Roper’s request.
Morgan along with two other passengers were seriously injured in the crash, and comedian James McNair was killed.
Initial stories suggested that Morgan was on his way to a speedy recovery. However, recent reports suggest otherwise. Last month, his lawyer, Benedict Morelli, told The Associated Press that there’s a chance that the Saturday Night Live alum might never make a full recovery.
“He’s fighting to get better, and if there’s chance for him to be back to the Tracy Morgan he once was, he’s going to try to do that,” Morelli said.