Report: Trucking Firms Face Lawsuit Inflation

Lawsuits against trucking companies are getting more expensive, with verdict amounts increasing 867 percent between 2010 and 2018, according to a new report. 

That increase is happening despite the rate of fatal crashes decreasing from “2.23 to 1.47 per hundred million large truck miles,” according to a July 14 paper by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform. 

Theories posed as to the reason behind these skyrocketing prices include inflated medical billing, “reptile” courtroom tactics, more defendants and “an ambiguous and exploitable standard of care for trucking operations.” 

The chamber reviewed 154 cases from June 2020 to April 2023, finding that the mean plaintiffs’ award was $27.5 million, and the mean settlement amount was $10.6 million. 

In terms of combating these issues, the research presents a few possible solutions, including transparency in medical damages, capping non-economic damages and allowing evidence of non-use of seat belts by plaintiffs. 

“Policymakers, judges and professional ethics regulators must take action to restore balance and fairness in truck accident litigation,” the report concludes.