Legislation from U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Tom Barrett (R-MI) would put truck crash cases in federal court instead of allowing plaintiffs to “forum shop.”
The Forum Accountability and Integrity in Roadway (FAIR) Trucking Act would grant federal courts jurisdiction over truck crash cases when the matter involves interstate commerce; the amount being sought exceeds $5 million; and at least one defendant and one plaintiff are from different states.
“Truckers keep America moving and deliver for us each and every day—but bad actors are blatantly exploiting them for payouts,” Hinson said. “Without federal oversight, truckers face unjust litigation that distorts settlements and threatens supply chains. My bill puts safety and fairness first—deterring staged collisions, protecting jobs and small businesses, and ensuring justice is the focus—not profit.”
Hinson and Barrett were joined by U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX). The FAIR Trucking Act is also endorsed by the American Trucking Association and the Iowa Motor Truck Association. The lawmakers said the legislation aims to restore “fairness and balance to litigation” while ensuring cases of national scope are heard in federal courts.
“When trial lawyers treat the judicial system like a game of ‘jackpot justice,’ employers, consumers, and our economy pay the price. The skyrocketing number of nuclear verdicts is driving up insurance rates to unsustainable levels and raising the cost of goods for all consumers,” American Trucking Associations President & CEO Chris Spear said. “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. The FAIR Trucking Act would close the loopholes that the plaintiffs’ bar exploits to move cases to judicial hellholes and engineer these lopsided verdicts.”