The Texas House recently passed legislation limiting the liability of trucking companies when their commercial drivers are involved in accidents. The author of House Bill 19, Republican Jeff Leach, and the Keep Texas Trucking Coalition argue small trucking businesses are the target of “frivolous and abusive litigation.” Often the trucking company owners face steep legal bills and rising insurance rates when they are not at fault for the accident. Texans for Lawsuit Reform also support the bill and claim HB19 will ensure accident victims have their day in court while keeping the smaller trucking companies in business.
The bill’s opponents contend the roads in Texas are dangerous and would become more so if the bill passes in the senate. Bay Scoggin, the director of Texas Public Research Interest Group, states, “Litigation is consumers’ last resort, but it’s currently our most important deterrent to deadly negligence and wrongdoing by commercial vehicle companies.” Texas Watch says of HB 19, “HB 19 will harm families devasted by 18-Wheeler Wrecks. To protect the lives of Texas families, we need more safety measures, not less.”
Texas leads the nation in the number of truck wreck fatalities. NHTSA records show a 27% increase in truck accidents from 2016 to 2019. Personal Injury attorneys and organizations like the Public Citizen for Justice, are strongly against the bill claiming the legislation favors business over consumer safety.
For more information on Texas HB19, click here.
Advocate Capital Inc. proudly supports the 7th Amendment and Plaintiff Injury Attorneys as they fight for the rights of their clients to have their day in court. We stand with them as they hold businesses, regardless of their size, accountable for the harm they cause others. We will continue to monitor HB 19 as it moves through the Texas senate.
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