David W. Craig to Speak on Truck Driver Mistreatment at ATAA 2026

On September 17^th, Nationally Recognized Truck Accident Attorney David W. Craig will share his legal expertise at the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA) 2026 Annual Symposium. The event will take place from September 17^th to 19^th and will focus on the essentials of truck wreck litigation combined with intermediate and advanced topics.

David’s presentation, titled “How Truck Drivers are Treated by Motor Carriers, Shippers, and Receivers” will shed light on the mistreatment that professional drivers suffer all too often in the trucking industry. Evidence of driver mistreatment can greatly affect truck accident cases if the wreck was a result of driver coercion and exploitation.

Industry Culture of Driver Mistreatment

While many motor carriers work hard to treat their employees fairly and play by the rules, there are some trucking companies that choose to prioritize profits over safety. Those motor carriers are willing to use shortcuts and loopholes in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and labor laws that risk public safety and deny them the pay they deserve. For many of these drivers, speaking out against this treatment can lead to threats of reduced pay, reduced hours, surveillance, or termination.

Truck drivers forced into these situations are often made to choose between facing their employers’ consequences for fighting mistreatment or protecting their livelihoods. Because of this, it is crucial for attorneys to look beyond the fault of the driver if the case leads them in that direction; there may have been exploitation at play that factors into the cause of the wreck.

David will share an in-depth overview of the regulations laid out for professional drivers, motor carriers, shippers, and receivers in these scenarios, including specific sections of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Manual, as well as further research into the prevalence of this problem in the industry. He will also present the results of a truck driver survey he conducted to provide further insight into drivers’ experiences in these scenarios. The survey features driver encounters with pressure to drive while fatigued, advisement to ignore safety defects, expectations to answer texts while driving, altering electronic logging devices, and the consequences they receive as retaliation when they address safety concerns. This data can help truck accident attorneys understand the treatment drivers often face and how uncovering this exploitation can impact your case.

About The Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys

The ATAA is a membership organization that is dedicated to assisting plaintiff lawyers and paralegals learn the skills and expertise needed to properly handle truck accident cases. Attorneys and members of the ATAA who are Board-Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy help to provide training, education and assistance to other attorneys. In addition to their educational efforts, the ATAA works to hold negligent trucking companies accountable by fighting against dangerous practices that needlessly endanger the public.

Experienced Truck Accident Attorney

David W. Craig is a nationally recognized truck accident attorney. He is also the managing partner and one of the founders of Craig, Kelley & Faultless, a personal injury law firm headquartered in Indianapolis. Craig, Kelley & Faultless can be contacted at (888) 253-5198, and additional information can be found on the firm’s website or on Facebook and LinkedIn.

He 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. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer 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.