Raising Federal Trucking Insurance Minimums
Federal Trucking Insurance Minimums Are Inadequate
America’s highways have become deadlier. The number of people injured in large truck crashes has more than doubled over the last 10 years, while fatalities increased 43%. While trucking has become more dangerous for others on the road, the federal minimum insurance requirement for trucking companies has not been raised since 1980, and does not match inflation or rising medical costs.
A fatal truck crash costs about $4.9 million in direct costs, but carriers are only required to carry insurance of $750,000. Currently, insurance is so cheap—because minimum levels are so low—that there is no economic incentive to improve safety. Raising insurance minimums is necessary to ensure justice for those injured or killed in trucking crashes and is an economic incentive for trucking companies to operate safely.
AAJ is working with our member attorneys to convince Congress that insurance minimums for federal interstate motor carriers must be increased to reflect the much higher costs of devastating truck crashes compared to four decades ago. Join the Fight.
insurance minimum has not been adjusted—even for inflation
Trial Lawyers, Working Together to help crash victims and their families
