Legislative Initiative Addresses Abusive Lawsuits Against Owners and Operators of Commercial Vehicles

The Keep Texas Trucking Coalition (KTTC) has released its latest video, highlighting the devastating impact abusive lawsuits have on Texas small businesses. The video features Sarah Sagredo-Hammond, whose family-owned electrical, plumbing and HVAC business in the Rio Grande Valley is feeling the strain of Texas’ excessive litigation environment for commercial vehicles.

The committee substitute for House Bill 19 was voted out of the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee last week, and is awaiting a vote by the full Texas House of Representatives. The bill ensures a Texan who is injured by the negligence of a commercial vehicle operator can be fully compensated for the injury he or she suffered, while also ensuring cases are tried consistently and uniformly across the state and that juries have the relevant information required to make a fair decision.

According to the Texas Office of Court Administration, motor vehicle litigation has increased 118 percent in Texas since 2008, while other types of personal injury litigation have decreased. In 2019, a lawsuit followed every 10 accidents, up from one in 17 accidents in 2008. This has caused the price of insurance to skyrocket, whether or not a company has had an accident or even owns a vehicle.

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