Texas Senate Passes Commercial Auto Tort Reform Bill
A bill that proponents say will help control abusive lawsuits against commercial motor vehicle operators following accidents has passed the Texas Senate.
House Bill 19 would have a big impact on the commercial auto insurance market, as it aims to limit lawsuits following commercial vehicle crashes its supporters say. The insurance industry-supported measure by Rep. Jeff Leach would, among other things, require a two-part trial in civil actions involving a commercial motor vehicle if requested in a motion by the defendant.
In the bifurcated trial system, the driver of the vehicle subject to the civil action must be found “negligent in operating an employer defendant’s commercial motor vehicle” before the lawsuit can proceed to the second phase, which involves a claim against the driver’s employer, according to a House summary of the bill.