Washington — Today, the trucking industry praised the Wisconsin State Legislature for passing a commonsense reform to the state’s civil litigation system that would cap non-economic damage awards at $1 million. The industry says capping these subjective, nonmonetary losses is critical to ensuring fairness and balance in civil litigation and will deter abusive and frivolous lawsuits that have perverted the system into a profit center for the plaintiffs’ bar.
“When the plaintiffs’ bar perverts civil litigation into a casino game of ‘jackpot justice,’ the costs are borne by everyone—not just trucking companies, but consumers too in the form of higher insurance rates and higher prices for everyday goods,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “This reasonable reform ensures justice and fairness drive accident litigation outcomes, not profits.”
The legislation – SB 613 – passed the State Assembly by voice vote and the State Senate 21-11 and now goes to Gov. Tony Evers’ desk for his signature.
“This legislation has broad support in the state legislature and across the state,” said Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association President Neal Kedzie. “Wisconsin’s trucking industry is essential to everyone in our state, and rampant lawsuit abuse is impeding our ability to do our job safely and efficiently. We urge Governor Evers to sign this bill into law.”
The trucking industry is a key provider of middle-class jobs in Wisconsin, employing approximately 183,780 people throughout the state. More than 77 percent of Wisconsin communities rely exclusively on trucks to receive their goods.