Des Moines, Iowa — Iowa’s trucking industry would get significant liability protection from lawsuits under a bill that’s cleared its first hurdle in the Iowa House.
David Scott is a lobbyist for the Iowa Motor Truck Association. He says delivery trucks, construction vehicles and pick-ups owned by businesses would be covered as well as semis.
The bill would exempt businesses from paying damages in cases where their employee was found negligent in a trucking accident. Kellie Paschke is a lobbyist for the Iowa Association for Justice, representing trial lawyers. She says the bill protects bad actors who fail to maintain trucks or tell drivers to stay on the road when they’re supposed to be resting.
The state’s farm cooperatives, the Pork Producers and farm equipment dealers as well as two convenience store chains back the bill. Scott Weiser is a lobbyist for CRST and Annett Holdings, the state’s two largest trucking companies.
Dan McKay, an insurance consultant for the Iowa Bar Association, says insurance rates for commercial vehicles are competitive.
In civil cases in which a trucking company is considered liable in an accident, non-economic or pain and suffering damages could be no more than one million dollars if the bill becomes law. The bill cleared a House subcommittee Tuesday morning. The proposal was part of Governor Kim Reynolds’ legislative priorities last year, but ran into opposition in the House.
Image above: Iowa DOT camera view from I-80 near Colfax
