Legislation has been introduced in an attempt to rein in what the trucking industry calls "nuclear verdicts" that include multi-million dollar judgements.
The Forum Accountability and Integrity in Roadway (FAIR) Trucking Act was introduced last week by Representatives Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) and Tom Barrett (R-Michigan) and cosponsored by Representative Brandon Gill (R-Texas).
The bill would end the practice of “forum shopping”, which is sometimes employed by trial lawyers to move cases to favorable state jurisdictions and engineer the award of verdicts that go beyond actual harm.
it would grant federal jurisdiction over truck crash cases if they involve interstate commerce, seek more than $5 million in damages, and include at least one plaintiff and defendant from different states, according to a statement from Hinson.
The legislation was praised by the American Trucking Association and the Iowa Motor Truck Association.
“When trial lawyers treat the judicial system like a game of ‘jackpot justice,’ employers, consumers, and our economy pay the price," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. "The skyrocketing number of nuclear verdicts is driving up insurance rates to unsustainable levels and raising the cost of goods for all consumers.
"It also means trucking companies -- the vast majority of which are small businesses -- are one bad verdict away from being forced to permanently shut their doors."
