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The trucking industry has been facing surging unfavorable verdicts and insurance costs as biases and policies drive up costs beyond economic reality, according to a panel of experts.

The 2025 ATRI Top Industry Issues report, released Oct. 26, found that the economy was the top concern among industry stakeholders for the third year in a row.

Nuclear verdicts are "just getting exponentially larger,” said Oriana Senatore, managing director and senior vice president of strategy at the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform.

Nuclear verdicts against carriers and efforts by regulators to make sense of AI are currently creating a shift in the way that insurance policies are developed and nurtured.

The reversal of a $100 million verdict against Werner Enterprises gave trucking a big win in a legal environment in which “nuclear” verdicts and smaller settlements are raising insurance rates.

The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act is designed to mitigate the impact of lawsuits deemed frivolous as well as shield employers from defending against inordinate claims.

The legislation is particularly significant for Arizona's trucking industry, which faces an increasing number of lawsuits often backed by third-party funding.

A study from Marathon Strategies found that the trucking and automotive industries faced a combined 15 multimillion-dollar verdicts last year totaling jury awards of more than $1.4 billion.

Program Aired: July 24, 2 p.m. ET Learn how fleets can avoid catastrophic legal outcomes in today’s litigious environment. We’ll explore key trends, proactive safety strategies, and share insights from Fleetworthy experts on building a legally defensible safety and compliance culture. 

A St. Louis court has drastically reduced a $462 million jury verdict issued against trailer manufacturer Wabash in connection with a 2019 fatal accident.