U-Haul is suing six people in Greene County Court, claiming that a crash that occurred in Springfield in 2023 was not an accident, and was staged to generate fraudulent insurance.
What We Know: U-Haul Co. of Missouri and U-Haul Co. of Arizona filed a petition against Deiona Johnson, Lencorya Grady, Bryce Gerald, Nariyah Hamilton, Bobby Anderson and Anthony Cal. Johnson was the one to rent a U-Haul truck on September 16, 2023. Johnson was driving south on Kansas Expressway north of Kearney when the truck collided with a Mercedes-Benz owned and driven by Grady. Gerald, Hamilton, Anderson and Cal were all passengers in the Mercedes.
In the report filed by police that responded to the crash, the Mercedes was stopped in traffic when the U-Haul struck it from behind.
What the Lawsuit Says: U-Haul claims the defendants “knowingly, willfully, and intentionally” conspired to defraud them by renting a truck and crashing it into another vehicle. Hamilton, who was in the Mercedes, was listed as an alternative contact for Johnson’s rental agreement. The company found that several of the defendants had been involved in past insurance claims.
U-Haul is asking that a judge declare the rental contract void, so that they do not have to cover Johnson or any of the other defendants with liability coverage. They are also seeking damages, punitive damages, attorney fees and court costs.
What the Defendants Say: Deiona Johnson says she rented the truck to help a friend move and was on her way to return the vehicle at the time of the crash. She claims that she was distracted by her phone or navigation system when she saw the Mercedes stopped at a light and tried to stop but could not avoid hitting them. The occupants of the Mercedes reported head, neck, and back pain and were treated by local hospitals after the crash. Johnson declined medical treatment.