Starr Wins Lawsuit, Gets $2.3 Million

Bart Starr, who played quarterback for the Green Bay Packers for 16 years and later coached the National Football League team, was awarded $2.3 million Wednesday in a federal lawsuit against his former business partner.

The 8-person jury in U.S. District Court found that Thomas M. Acheson, Starr’s partner in a Birmingham automobile dealership, had breached a 1972 partnership agreement, resulting in substantial financial losses for Starr.

“Obviously we were very pleased with the verdict,” Starr told the Birmingham Post-Herald. “We are very grateful to the jury for their decision.

“It has been a very emotional time for us,” Starr said.

Starr’s son, Bret, died last summer, apparently from a drug overdose.

Starr, a Montgomery native, played football at the University of Alabama in the 1950s.

The 18-month-long lawsuit started with Acheson suing Starr for $10,000. Acheson alleged that Starr had broken the partnership agreement by doing promotional work for a health maintenance organization. Starr then countersued.

In awarding damages, the jury rejected Acheson’s claims and found that neither he nor his business, Tameron Automotive Group, suffered any damages.

Acheson said in a statement: “I believe that the settlement asked for is totally out of line and the verdict is not supportable.”