How Your Case Can Create Change in the Trucking Industry

The trucking industry has a plethora of rules and regulations they must follow to ensure drivers are safe on the roads. When truck drivers or commercial motor vehicle carriers refuse to follow those regulations, there can be devastating repercussions.

Following a wrongful death or catastrophic industry caused by a truck accident, you may be focused on hiring a lawyer to represent you and help you seek the settlement you deserve. But did you know that your settlement can create positive changes in the trucking industry to ensure the roads are safer in the future?

In this month’s episode of After the Crash, Managing Partner David W. Craig discussed trucking litigation with fellow Truck Accident Attorney Christy Crowe Childers, whom is one of the first five female attorneys to achieve National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) Board-Certification in Truck Accident Law. Other topics they spoke on include why board-certification and trial experience matters, how juries have evolved, and how families can push for safer trucking.

The episode is now available on YouTube. You can listen on Spotify, Amazon, or other podcast-streaming services.

Your Opportunity to Make the Roads Safer

Truck accidents can be caused by a wide variety of things. The driver’s attentiveness, weather conditions, improper vehicle operation, failure to follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), and more can all be contributing factors.

What if the truck company that caused the wreck with you or your family has a dangerous workplace culture or procedures and doesn’t comply with the rules they are required to follow?

Your attorney should always make sure you receive the full value of your case, regardless of whether you choose to settle or go to trial. However, there may be ways to effectuate change through your case. The wrongful death of a loved one is a tragic loss, but your attorney can help you stop these companies from hurting or killing someone else’s family member or friend going forward.

This kind of change can come in the form of demanding a mandatory rule in driver training, the creation of stricter inspection regulations, proper medical exams, and more. Your lawyer can make the adoption of those new procedures a mandatory term for your settlement.

For both David and Christy, some of their most rewarding moments are when the outcome of a case means preventing future accidents.

One case David handled involved a company that had issues putting tired drivers behind the wheel as a result of their lackluster policies around drowsy driving. The driver in that case had sleep apnea, but the company was not properly checking for it in medical exams or providing proper training or education about tired driving.

The client was brave enough to put their foot down and refused to settle until they agreed to the proposed policy changes, otherwise they would have taken the case to trial. Because of that client, the company did implement those modifications, ultimately preventing future accidents as a result of their negligence.

Get to Know the Guest: A Trailblazer for Women in Truck Wreck Law

Christy is a founding partner of Childers & McCain, LLC in Macon, Georgia, where she was been practicing for 20 years. While Christy is one of the first five female NBTA board-certified truck accident attorneys in the country, she is also the first female lawyer in Georgia to achieve this certification.

She also received the NBTA Presidents Award as a reward for her support of attorneys, specifically female attorneys, earning board-certification in trucking law. Additionally, she consults with other trucking attorneys throughout the country and formerly served as the Education Chair for the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA).

Outside of the office, Christy organizes the Mother Truckers Rally, an annual continuing legal education (CLE) event that began in 2022. This adventure CLE brings female trial attorneys together from across the U.S. and provides them with the means to expand their legal expertise in several areas of practice, including truck wreck law, and engage in adrenaline-fueled yet educational activities. Previous activities at the rallies include driving monster trucks and tractor-trailers, blowing up cars, dog sledding, and landing helicopters on glaciers.

After the Crash Podcast: A Legal Resource for Truck Wreck Victims

After the Crash is currently ranked No. 5 in personal injury podcasts. It is the highest-ranked podcast focusing on personal injury resulting from commercial vehicle and truck wrecks.

The podcast was launched nearly five years ago, in the fall of 2020, by attorney David W. Craig. It educates and empowers listeners in a digestible format. It is primarily aimed at the victims and the families of victims of semi or other large truck accidents.

It is David’s goal to equip listeners with the knowledge necessary to navigate this tough time in their lives. Anyone — truck wreck survivors, legal professionals, healthcare workers, and anyone in between — can tune into After the Crash for free.

A new episode is released monthly, featuring a guest with an important perspective. In each episode, David interviews individuals involved in commercial motor vehicle cases, or experts whose skills are crucial to understanding trucking cases.

Episodes are posted on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon and Apple Podcasts, and the Craig, Kelley & Faultless website.

Injured After a Truck Wreck? Craig, Kelley & Faultless Can Help

Attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless are prepared and have the experience to help victims and their loved ones involved in commercial vehicle wrecks through every aspect of their case. Both attorneys David W. Craig and Scott A. Faultless are board-certified in truck accident law by the NBTA, accredited by the American Bar Association. The firm also has a rapid response team that works with investigators, reconstructionists and mechanics who immediately collect evidence as soon as the firm is hired. Additionally, two of the firm’s litigation paralegals are board-certified in truck accident law by the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. As David has said, “We don’t just handle truck accident cases. We specialize in these cases.”

Their team-centered approach puts client needs at the forefront, and several attorneys will work on your case to achieve the best possible outcome.

Reach out for a free case consultation today at (888) 253-5198 or online.

David W. Craig is board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, accredited by the American Bar Association in Truck Accident Law. He sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families and It’s Never Been Easier to Hire the Wrong Attorney, both written to help people navigate what comes next after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.