Texans for Lawsuit Reform

Through political action, legal, academic and market research, and grassroots initiatives, TLR fights for common-sense reforms that keep Texas open for business.

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For the Record

Providing Essential Services

“If the freight’s there, it’s got to move. If people are going to eat, the trucks are gonna move. If they need medical supplies, the trucks are gonna move. If we stop, the world stops.”

Those are the words of 57-year-old trucker Ron Applegate, one of the individuals on the frontlines of our nation’s commercial transportation industry. On any given day, these men and women provide an essential service, ferrying the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the products that fill our homes from one destination to another.

As COVID-19 has proven, that service is more critical now than ever. 

We’ve recently taken a closer look at a growing cottage industry that is driving litigation against commercial trucking companies. The increase in nuclear verdicts in litigation involving commercial vehicle accidents has created a corresponding increase in insurance costs for trucking companies. Because transportation costs are a meaningful component of the retail prices of consumer products, the costs of unnecessary lawsuits and unreasonable verdicts are ultimately borne by consumers.

But the Tort Tax is only one consequence of the spike in trucking litigation. In some cases, companies have been forced out of business because they are unable to handle the significant increase in insurance costs and the ever-increasing risk of litigation. 

Decreased truck capacity is especially alarming in our current crisis. As the past couple of weeks have proven, every one of us depends greatly upon having a robust commercial trucking infrastructure. We have all seen photos of empty grocery store shelves across the country. State officials and retailers have assured us there are ample supplies of products, but the challenge remains in getting them from distribution centers to stores as quickly as possible to meet the demand. 

Without the commercial transportation industry, the entire supply chain breaks down.

TLR is studying the root causes of this issue in Texas and developing reforms that will help ensure commercial transportation operations can, well, keep on trucking. Whether it’s a time of crisis or business-as-usual, we simply cannot allow lawsuit abuse to continue targeting one of the most essential functions in our society.

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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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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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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
  • About TLR
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  • Timeline of Reforms
  • Videos
  • Issues
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  • For the Record
  • Special Reports
  • In the News
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  • Invite a TLR Speaker
  • Get Involved
  • Invite a TLR Speaker
  • Donate
  • Stay Informed
  • Contact TLR

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