Wabash says court orders reduction of damages in Williams case

Wabash (WNC) announced an update in its challenge to the verdict issued against the company in September by a St. Louis jury in Williams et al. v. Wabash. On March 20, 2025, a Circuit Court determined that the punitive damage award in the case, which stood at $450 million, did not align with the company’s constitutional rights, and ordered the punitive damages award reduced to $108 million with the compensatory damages award remaining at $11.5 million. The case concerns a 2019 motor vehicle accident in which a passenger vehicle with an unobstructed view struck the back of a nearly stopped 2004 Wabash trailer. The accident occurred nearly two decades after the trailer involved was manufactured by Wabash in compliance with all applicable regulations. Wabash continues to believe both that the damages remain abnormally high and the verdict is not supported by the facts or the law. The company continues to evaluate all available legal options. Wabash stands firmly behind the quality and safety of all its products, and this ruling will not prevent the company from continuing to provide its customers with products that contribute to safer roads.