AUSTIN, Texas — Texas lawmakers could make it harder for people to sue trucking companies.
Two bills outlined as priorities by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick focus on limiting what victims could sue trucking companies for outside of actions in a crash, and how damages are handled in civil lawsuits.
Senate Bill 30, authored by State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) would modify the rules on reasonableness and necessity of medical expenses in personal injury cases while setting limits on how much could be claimed.
The bill would also change how medical costs are determined, potentially reducing how much plaintiffs can recover by basing payments on standard insurance rates.
Critics of SB 30 say the bill would cap how much someone could get from a trucking company in situations like the deadly crash on I-35. The bill would allow judges to lower jury verdicts that are more than $1 million in wrongful death cases and $250,000 in personal injury cases.
Meanwhile, Senate Bill 39, introduced by State Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury), would not only modify medical expenses but also limit liability for trucking companies by restricting claims beyond the crash itself while capping what can be recovered for past and future medical expenses.
The bill would tighten rules on noneconomic damages like pain and suffering while setting specific caps on how much can be awarded. Juries would also have to be unanimous when deciding damages, potentially making it harder for plaintiffs to secure large payouts.
In a statement, Texans for Lawsuit Reform said the bills wouldn’t “prevent anyone involved from pursuing a lawsuit … recovering all that is entitled to them from the driver and the company and even recovering damages if appropriate.”
The group added that the bills are also aimed at preventing lawsuits without merit.