Call Us 832-777-5562 ☰ ˟
Logo                               Member's Login




Call Us: 832-777-5562
  • Home
  • Get A Quote
    • Business & CommercialImage of right arrow
      • Commercial Auto Insurance Quote
      • General Liability Quote Form
    • Trucking
  • Customer Service
    • Business & CommercialImage of right arrow
      • Request ID Card for Commercial Auto Policy
      • Request Declaration and Coverages Page for Commercial Auto Policy
      • Request General Liability Certificate of Insurance
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Refer a Friend
    • Important Files
    • Insurance Glossary
  • About Us
    • About Southern Insurance Advisors
    • Location Map
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Join Our Newsletter
Auto and Home Icon

Semi-Truck

We browse through a wide variety of coverages and find the right one for you.

Learn More
Business Icon

Tanker

We browse through a wide variety of coverages and find the right one for you.

Learn More
Life and Health Icon

Dump Trucks

We browse through a wide variety of coverages and find the right one for you.

Learn More
RV and Boat Icon

Container

We browse through a wide variety of coverages and find the right one for you.

Learn More
Annuities Icon

Refrigerated Trailer

We browse through a wide variety of coverages and find the right one for you.

Learn More
Home > Blog > New Texas law may soon protect trucking companies but not their drivers
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021

New Texas law may soon protect trucking companies but not their drivers

New Texas law may soon protect trucking companies but not their drivers

By: Wimberly Patton

A proposed bill in Texas could soon protect trucking companies from the liability of traffic accidents, leaving the trucker solely responsible. 

The Texas trucking industry has pushed for a restructuring of the state’s accident liability laws, citing the state’s current laws as an “unsustainable lawsuit environment for trucking companies.

“The commercial vehicle industry continues to be under attack,” said John Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association. “We’re seeing dramatic increases in large verdicts.”

If passed, the bill would require the plaintiff to prove that the trucking company was “grossly negligent” in order to pursue a lawsuit. Otherwise, only the truck driver involved in the accident would be liable for damages. Critics of the bill claim that this change in law would create a sort of free pass for trucking companies, reports KXAN News.

“What they’re doing is they’re taking the largest corporations and they’re trying to give them a free pass, a free break and they’re going to try to pass that along to the consumers,” said personal injury attorney Thomas J. Henry. 

The bill had its first hearing before the Texas House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence on Tuesday, March 9th, where the bill’s autor, state Rep. Jeff Leach of Plano, acknowledged that the current version of the bill has “fairly significant” shortcomings and agreed that changes would need to be made. 

Leach claims that the bill aims to protect businesses from frivolous lawsuits, while ensuring that citizens can still seek damages through litigation.  

“If there’s any part of the bill that would hinder a Texans’ ability to seek those damages, then the bill won’t move,” Leach said. “I promise you that.”

“For me, it is a big deal,” said Bobby Jenkins, owner of ABC Home and Commercial Services who has a flett of 700 trucks. He says lawsuits have caused his liability insurance rates  by 20% and umbrella coverage to increase by 200-300%.

Leach says the goal is to move the bill out of committee sometime next week.

Posted 3:27 PM

Share |


No Comments


Post a Comment
Required
Required (Not Displayed)
Required


All comments are moderated and stripped of HTML.

NOTICE: This blog and website are made available by the publisher for educational and informational purposes only. It is not be used as a substitute for competent insurance, legal, or tax advice from a licensed professional in your state. By using this blog site you understand that there is no broker client relationship between you and the blog and website publisher.
Blog Archive
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020


View Mobile Version

Contact Us Today!
832-777-5562

Social

Resources

  • Products
  • Customer Service
  • Report a Claim
  • News
  • About Us
  • Refer A Friend
  • Our Carriers
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Contact Us

431 Nursery Rd
Suite B 700
The Woodlands TX 77380

P: 832-777-5562 | F: 832-442-5421 | E:quotes@SouthernInsAdvisors.com
© Copyright. All rights reserved. | Powered by Insurance Website Builder