Nuclear Verdicts
Nuclear verdicts are a hot topic in the trucking and transportation industry, and for good reason. In 2010 there were less than 10 cases against trucking companies with a verdict over $1 million; in 2011 there were nearly 60, and there hasn’t been less than 30 in a year since then. And it’s not just the number of cases that’s increasing, but the amount of the verdict. The average verdict in 2010 was $2.3 million; in 2018 it was $22.3 million 1.
A single finding against a trucking company can be catastrophic, at times even forcing their closure. With that in mind, is there anything a company can do to reduce the risk that one of their drivers will be involved in one of these cases? The answer is: Absolutely!