WASHINGTON — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform today released a new edition of Roadblock: The Trucking Litigation Problem and How to Fix It, examining how lawsuit abuse involving commercial truck accidents is driving up litigation and insurance costs for carriers, straining supply chains, and increasing prices for consumers and businesses across the economy.
The study reviewed 334 truck accident verdicts and settlements from June 2023 to July 2026 and found an average award of $16.8 million and a median award of $2.15 million, with plaintiffs’ verdicts averaging nearly $28 million. Rising legal and insurance costs imposed on carriers ripple through the supply chain and show up in the prices families pay every day.
“Every dollar lost to excessive litigation promoted by billboard lawyers is a dollar that could have gone toward wages, equipment, and jobs. And these costs work their way from the courtroom through the supply chain to the register, where American families ultimately pay the price of lawsuit abuse,” said Stephen Waguespack, President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform. “The trucking industry is under attack, and the Institute for Legal Reform is fighting back. We will continue to work to protect America’s truckers and ease the burden of lawsuit abuse that drives up the costs of everyday goods and services.”
The report highlights how lawsuit abuse in the trucking sector affects far more than transportation companies. The industry also faces a growing threat from staged collision schemes. Organized crime rings—often working with billboard lawyers and unscrupulous healthcare providers—are deliberately causing crashes with commercial trucks to manufacture bogus injury claims and flood the courts with fraudulent lawsuits. One such decades-long staged crash conspiracy was recently uncovered in New Orleans.
The report also outlines how excessive litigation, inflated claims, and abusive legal tactics can increase settlement pressure and contribute to rising insurance premiums. It makes the case for commonsense reforms that preserve access to justice while discouraging lawsuit abuse.
Roadblock comes as lawmakers at the state and federal levels continue to examine ways to reform the justice system. For example, Senator Moody (FL) recently introduced the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act to combat the growing number of illegal staged auto accidents. Senator Moody’s bill is the companion to H.R. 2662, sponsored by Representatives Mike Collins (GA-10) and Brandon Gill (TX-26).
The full report is available here: Roadblock: The Trucking Litigation Problem and How to Fix It.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization representing companies of all sizes across every sector of the economy. Our members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations. For more than 114 years, we have advocated for pro-business policies that help businesses create jobs and grow our economy.
