BUDA, TEXAS – The Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) today are joining the Texas Trucking Association and the Keep Texas Trucking Coalition of more than 300 members composed of businesses and associations from across the state. The coalition is working together to ensure that the Texas economy, small businesses and employers are not unfairly harmed by legal problems and litigation due to abusive commercial vehicle lawsuits by ensuring judges and juries in legal cases receive relevant and accurate information and that lawsuit trials are conducted uniformly and consistent across the state. As such, it is importantly to note that there will continue to be a need for judicious personal injury laws, the practice of those laws, lawyers, and courts.

The legislation being considered by the Texas Legislature this session in the form of Senate Bills 17 and 207, House Bills 19 and 1617, which have received the support of the Keep Texas Trucking Coalition, including TAMACC is intended to provide relief and protection to small businesses, employer, and specifically the commercial vehicle industry from abusive and unfair commercial vehicle lawsuits and litigation. Many commercial vehicle operators in Texas are small businesses that cannot afford the adverse impact of an abusive and frivolous lawsuit or the high cost of insurance as a result of such a lawsuit.

According to the Texas Office of Court Administration, motor vehicle litigation has increased 118 percent in Texas since 2008, compared to other types of personal injury litigation which has decreased. In 2019 the lawsuits filed as a result of crashes was 1 in 10, up from 1 in 17 in 2008. This has caused the cost of insurance to skyrocket, whether or not the business has been free of accidents. When this happens, a business may be forced to go out of business or pass on the cost to the Texas consumers in the form of more expensive goods and services.