Texans for Lawsuit Reform

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For the Record

Clarifying the Rules of the Road

On Wednesday, September 1, House Bill 19 takes effect, clarifying the rules for how commercial vehicle lawsuits are tried in courtrooms across the state and ensuring juries have the necessary facts to arrive at a fair verdict.

The bill, which was authored by Rep. Jeff Leach and sponsored by Sen. Larry Taylor, was the product of nearly two years of research and collaborative work to find a solution to one of the biggest issues facing Texas small businesses.

Texas saw a 118 percent increase in vehicle litigation from 2008-2019, meaning about one in ten vehicle accidents resulted in a lawsuit. That’s not just a problem for big trucks, it’s a problem for any Texas business operating a vehicle: delivery vans, rideshare services, 18-wheelers, plumber’s trucks, and other vehicles delivering the goods and services we’ve relied on throughout the pandemic and after Texas’ winter storm.

Abusive commercial vehicle litigation is built on presenting misleading evidence to the jury that is often wholly unrelated to the cause of the accident—whether inflated medical bills or prejudicial evidence about a commercial vehicle operator’s conduct.

HB 19 protects the rights of Texans who are truly injured in a commercial vehicle accident while reducing opportunities for some trial lawyers to manipulate evidence at trial to seek millions in damages in cases where the commercial vehicle owner was not at fault or the plaintiff was not injured. The bill ensures juries have the necessary facts to award a fair verdict.

Under HB 19:
• A defendant can request a two-part trial in any case involving a commercial vehicle. The negligence of the driver, the negligence of the employer in maintaining the vehicle, and compensatory damages will be determined in the first phase of trial. Liability for and the amount of exemplary damages for all causes of action will be determined in the second phase of trial.
• Photos and videos of the vehicles involved in the accident will be admitted into evidence.
• TDI will conduct a six-year study on the effect of the bill on insurance rates and availability and report its findings to the Legislature before each regular session.

As with all of the reforms we advocate for in the Legislature, TLR will closely track HB 19’s effect on future litigation to ensure it’s functioning fairly for all litigants and to identify any litigation trends that arise after the bill’s enactment.

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Texans for Lawsuit Reform

22 hours ago

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

In case you missed it - 15 Harris County judges resolved fewer felony cases during the pandemic, and all 23 courts have more pending cases now than when the COVID epidemic began. As of March, there were over 48,000 pending active cases in Criminal District Court. Read and share: bit.ly/3yeuPc7 ... See MoreSee Less

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'Do your job,' victim tells judge in Harris County's slowest court

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Fifteen judges resolved fewer felony cases during the pandemic and all 23 courts have more pending cases now than when the pandemic began. Harris County Judge Ramona Franklin, of the 338th Criminal Di...
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Texans for Lawsuit Reform

2 days ago

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

The Dallas County DA argued a judge’s impartiality could reasonably be questioned after she lowered a defendant’s bail considerably while his defense lawyer is one of her top campaign contributors, and then raised his bail after media reports about her rulings. Read and share: bit.ly/3lfQMzM ... See MoreSee Less

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Dallas judge under scrutiny for bail rulings recuses herself from cases

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Judge Chika Anyiam, of Criminal District Court 7, recused herself Monday from 10 felony cases against Julio Guerrero. A Dallas County judge who faced public scrutiny for lowering a murder suspect’s ...
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Texans for Lawsuit Reform

3 days ago

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

TLR General Counsel Lee Parsley joined the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform podcast to discuss nuclear verdicts in the trucking industry and what legislators can do to ensure that excessive lawsuits don't shut down this vital industry. Listen and share: bit.ly/3wjgKJ9 ... See MoreSee Less

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Nuclear Verdicts Create Litigation "Vortex" for Trucking Industry

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In this episode of Cause for Action, Nathan Morris, senior vice president, legal reform advocacy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, is joined by Lee Parsley, the general couns...
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lawsuitreform avatarTLR@lawsuitreform·
16h 1527408930703523840

Since TLR’s founding, our supporters have made their voices heard at the Capitol by phone, e-mail, & personal visits on every issue that affects a healthy civil justice system. Make your voice heard & get involved with TLR today!

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lawsuitreform avatarTLR@lawsuitreform·
22h 1527318698804908040

#ICYMI: 15 Harris County judges resolved fewer felony cases during the pandemic & all 23 courts have more pending cases now than when the COVID epidemic began. As of March, there were over 48,000 pending active cases in Criminal District Court. Read & RT:

'Do your job,' victim tells judge in Harris County's slowest court

Fifteen judges resolved fewer felony cases during the pandemic and all 23 courts have more pending cases now than when the pandemic began. Harris Coun...

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lawsuitreform avatarTLR@lawsuitreform·
18 May 1527046564635721728

Want to make a difference in the fight against lawsuit abuse? Join the TLR team today! #stoplawsuitabuse

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Texans for Lawsuit Reform has thousands of supporters from across Texas who are committed to a fair and balanced civil justice system.

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Texans for Lawsuit Reform
1701 Brun Street
Houston, Texas 77019

Ph. 713-963-9363
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