Pub2-2021-Issue3

KyTrucking.net 25 10 after many years outside it. In another study, ATRI reported that nuclear verdicts are on the rise. One factor that is leading to more of those huge verdicts is the plaintiff’s attorneys’ skillful use of the “reptile theory,” which activates jury members’ primal fears to inspire them to protect themselves, their families and the rest of society against the big, bad trucking companies. But Smith said the same theory can be used by trucking’s defenders when it comes to staged accidents. A jury member also doesn’t want to become an innocent victim of insurance fraud. “What became very clear to me, and my entire 35 years were spent as an insurance defense lawyer was, first, this works, and second, this is a great way for me to win cases for my clients,” he said. Smith said fraudsters will say, after being caught, that they know which insurance companies investigate fraud and how thoroughly they do so. They also know which trucking companies don’t investigate potential fraud committed against themselves. Those that don’t are more exposed. “They will test,” he said. “So they’ll do a staged accident, and if it’s not investigated and there’s a very quick settlement for what they consider to be a very large amount of money, you just put a target on the back of your truck because they’re going to get you again.” Angel said carriers must stand up for themselves and their industry. The consequences of not responding to suspicious accidents are huge. “It’ll just continue to happen,” Smith said. No Hills Too Steep - No Ditches Too Deep We’ll Be On The Go – Rain Sleet Or Snow Tony’s Wrecker Service, Inc. Truck Repair ● Air Bag Recovery ● Landoll Transport Secure Storage ● Crane Service ● Long Distance Towing Fleet Management ● Equipment Sales ● Fuel Delivery PH 502-426-4100 FAX 502-425-4050 tonyswreckerservice.com Louisville’s Oldest Wrecker Service with over 80 years of Towing and Recovery Engineering Trucking Keeps America Moving! • 304.9 BILLION MILES TRAVELED BY ALL REGISTERED TRUCKS IN 2018. • $791.7 BILLION IN GROSS FREIGHT REVENUES (PRIMARY SHIPMENTS ONLY) FROM TRUCKING, REPRESENTING 80.4% OF THE NATION’S FREIGHT BILL IN 2019. • 3.6 MILLION TRUCK DRIVERS EMPLOYED IN 2019 (AN INCREASE OF 1.7% FROM 2018) • 11.84 BILLION TONS OF FREIGHT (PRIMARY SHIPMENTS ONLY) TRANSPORTED BY TRUCKS IN 2019, REPRESENTING 72.5% OF TOTAL DOMESTIC TONNAGE SHIPPED. Source: https://www.trucking.org/economics-and-industry-data Originally published in the Arkansas Trucking Report Vol. 26 Issue 4.