HB 19, which goes into effect September 1, ensures the “rules of the road” for highway accident cases are applied in a uniform and fair manner in all Texas courtrooms.
Opportunity seeking plaintiff lawyers partner with unscrupulous medical providers to grossly inflate injury claims far beyond the patient’s actual needs. These exaggerated costs are used to leverage lawsuit settlements. As a result, insurance rates are skyrocketing for the transportation industry and insurers are leaving the market, forcing many companies that operate commercial vehicles to close their doors.
The solution
The Texas Legislature must pass common-sense reforms to help level the playing field against these tactics. This includes requiring liable defendants to be responsible for medical bills actually paid or owed by the plaintiff, addressing the “letters of protection” that allow plaintiffs lawyers to sidestep health insurance and addressing legal tactics that manipulate juries into larger settlements.
Crash litigation is big business for plaintiff lawyers in Texas. Motor vehicle litigation is increasing in the state, while other kinds of personal injury litigation is decreasing, according to the Texas Office of Court Administration. Texas has reached the point that a lawsuit is filed in about 1 out of 10 crashes. Abusive crash lawsuits threaten our supply chain, leading to empty grocery store shelves, more expensive goods and services and countless jobs lost.
0%
118 Percent Increase in Motor Vehicle Lawsuits Since 2008
1 in 10
%
1 in 10 Lawsuit-to-Crash Ratio in Texas
0X
20 Times the Amount Charged Above Medical Providers Insurance-Based Rates
