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Trends in insurance coverage for trucking

Insurance is central to truck accident litigation, and recent trends show rising costs, expanded coverage requirements, and evolving policies that affect both plaintiffs and defendants.

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  • Truck Accident Law Team
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Article 4 of 6 in Future Trends in Truck Accident Law/

Trends in Insurance Coverage for Trucking

Rising Premiums

  • Trucking companies face steep increases in insurance premiums due to large jury verdicts (“nuclear verdicts”) in accident cases.
  • Insurers raise rates to cover escalating settlement and litigation costs.

Higher Coverage Requirements

  • Federal minimum liability coverage ($750,000) is widely criticized as outdated.
  • Some states and industry groups push for higher mandatory limits, especially for catastrophic accidents.
  • Carriers hauling hazardous materials already face higher federal requirements ($5 million minimum).

Layered and Excess Coverage

  • Many trucking companies purchase umbrella or excess liability policies beyond minimums.
  • This provides protection against multi-million-dollar verdicts.
  • Plaintiffs’ attorneys increasingly target layered coverage to maximize recovery.
  • Cyber Liability Insurance: Growing need as trucks integrate AI, telematics, and autonomous systems.
  • Environmental Coverage: Expanded policies for accidents involving hazardous material spills.
  • Cargo Insurance: Disputes often arise over lost or damaged goods during crashes.

Insurer Strategies

  • Stricter underwriting standards: More detailed review of safety records, driver training, and maintenance logs.
  • Pressure on carriers to adopt safety technologies (collision avoidance, telematics) as a condition for affordable coverage.
  • Aggressive defense tactics in litigation to reduce payouts.

Impact on Truck Accident Law

  • Plaintiffs’ attorneys must understand layered insurance structures to identify all potential sources of compensation.
  • Rising insurance costs contribute to industry consolidation, with smaller carriers struggling to afford coverage.
  • Court rulings on bad faith insurance practices may increase scrutiny on insurers’ negotiation behavior.

Summary: Insurance coverage for trucking is trending toward higher costs, stricter requirements, and expanded specialty policies. These shifts affect litigation strategies, settlement negotiations, and the overall trucking industry landscape.

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Truck Accident Law Team

Written by : Truck Accident Law Team

Attorneys, investigators, and legal writers focused on U.S. trucking safety, litigation strategy, and victim advocacy.

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