The Hidden ‘Tax’ That’s Bleeding Your Wallet Dry

Americans may be paying a hidden “lawsuit tax” through higher insurance premiums and higher prices for everyday goods, as trucking companies face rising litigation costs from staged crashes, massive settlements and “nuclear verdicts.” - Nick Naulty

• They argue those costs are especially hitting the trucking industry, where rising commercial insurance premiums can ripple through freight rates, grocery bills, consumer goods and even personal auto insurance premiums...

ATA Chairman Greg Hodgen and a group of trucking industry members met with both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees in April to discuss lawsuit abuse targeting the industry, including 

• staged accidents, 
• forum shopping, 
• third-party litigation funding and 
• frivolous lawsuits..

After hearing about the surge in staged crashes and the roughly $4,200 a year it adds to the average family’s costs, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said he wants to take a closer look at it...