The spotlight has fallen on comedian and Hollywood star Tracy Morgan – but not for the reasons he may have hoped.
Instead, the former
30 Rock and
Saturday Night Live actor has been informed he must give insurers access to his personal records – including more than six years of tax returns.
In a report by the
New York Daily News it was revealed that a federal magistrate judge in New Jersey has given the comedian 20 days to show the documents requested by Ohio Casualty Insurance Company and Liberty Insurance Underwriters who are fighting an obligation to fund what they consider to be an “exorbitant settlement” given to him and comedian Ardie Fuqua – reported by
Bloomberg to be in the region of $90 million.
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The insurers represent Walmart and the comic duo were given confidential settlements from the firm on the back of the July 07, 2014 crash on the New Jersey Turnpike that saw their friend James McNair killed. The crash was caused by a Walmart truck driver who was sleep-deprived and crashed into their limousine – Morgan himself suffered a brain injury.
The following year, Walmart agreed to a $10 million settlement to McNair’s children but details of its pact with Morgan and Fuqua were not released.
Now the insurance companies are arguing that Walmart acted too quickly and offered too much money – and so they are trying to prove that Morgan’s potential future earnings were not compromised to the extent that was originally believed.
Instead they want anything related to his TV appearances following the settlement as well as “driving a Lamborghini in midtown Manhattan shortly after the settlement, (walking) around midtown New York shortly after the settlement and his appearing at the Emmy Awards to make a presentation.”
Both Morgan and Fuqua have been ordered to comply with the subpoena.
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