Trucking Through Pennsylvania’s Judicial Hellhole
.png)
Pennsylvania is ranked the number one judicial hellhole in the country. And it’s not just a legal buzzword. It means if you run a trucking company here, you’re more likely to get slammed with a lawsuit, lose in court, and watch your insurance rates skyrocket.
Back in 2024, lawmakers introduced a tort reform package
that could’ve changed everything. Seat belt rules. Lawsuit lending limits. Even
caps on legal fees. It had the bones of real change.
But here we are. September 2025. And guess what? Not a
single part of that reform passed.
Let’s break it down.
The PA Lawsuit Problem
Trucking companies across Pennsylvania are stuck in a
high-risk legal storm. Here's why:
- Third-party
lawsuit funding is out of control. Outside investors bankroll injury
claims and push for bigger verdicts so they get a cut.
- Seatbelt
evidence is still off-limits. You can’t even tell a jury the injured
person wasn’t wearing one.
- Plaintiff
lawyers take massive cuts of settlements, and there are no rules about
it.
- Verdicts
are growing. Fast. We’re seeing nuclear awards over minor fender
benders.
- Venue
shopping still happens. Trial lawyers choose courts known to hammer
businesses.
And it’s not just legal talk. It hits the bottom line. One
report pegged Pennsylvania’s “tort tax” at $1,431 per person, per year. That
includes higher insurance premiums, lost jobs, and fewer small business wins.
Trucking takes the hit hard.
What the Reform Could’ve Fixed
In late 2024, a group of lawmakers backed by the PMTA
(Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association) rolled out a 5-point plan. Here's what
was on the table:
1. Seatbelt Admissibility
If a plaintiff wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, juries should hear
about it. Seems like common sense, right? Not in PA. Right now, that info stays
hidden.
2. Third-Party Litigation Funding Transparency
Lawsuit lending companies operate in the shadows. This bill
would’ve forced them to register and disclose how they fund cases.
3. Contingency Fee Caps
Most injury lawyers take 30 to 40 percent of a payout. The
reform would’ve added caps so injured folks don’t lose half their settlement to
legal fees.
4. Fair Share Act Repairs
This would’ve stopped courts from twisting the law to pin
extra blame on trucking companies with deep pockets.
5. Judicial Rule Reform
Right now, the PA Supreme Court controls how lawsuits are
handled. This law would’ve handed some of that power back to the legislature.
Big fixes. None passed.
Why It Died
Politics. Power struggles. And let’s be real, trial lawyers
don’t want reform. They win big under the current system.
Even with strong support from business groups and PMTA, the
reform bills never made it out of committee in 2025. The spotlight faded. Other
issues took over the news cycle. Truckers were left holding the bag.
The Philly Problem: Why Pennsylvania Courts Are a Lawsuit
Magnet
If you want to know why trucking insurance in Pennsylvania
keeps climbing, look no further than Philadelphia. The Court of Common Pleas
has become ground zero for nuclear verdicts, inflated claims, and courtroom
bias so thick you could load it on a flatbed.
Here’s what you need to know:
Philadelphia = Jackpot Justice
- In
2023, Philly juries handed out more million-dollar verdicts than
any other time in the last seven years.
- Over 11%
of civil jury verdicts in the Philly Court were $1 million or more.
- Nearly
1 in 3 of those were $10 million or higher.
Compare that to the pre-pandemic average of just 4.9%. This
isn’t inflation. It’s lawsuit abuse, plain and simple.
Billion-Dollar Verdicts. Seriously.
In one 2023 case, a jury awarded $1.009 billion to a
man injured in a 1992 Mitsubishi sports car. The court barred Mitsubishi from
telling the jury that the seatbelt design met federal safety standards. The
jury still awarded $160 million in pain and suffering alone, then added $800
million in punitive damages after just 30 minutes of deliberation.
This is what trucking companies are up against. If a court
won’t even allow safety compliance to be discussed, what chance do you have
when your driver rear-ends someone in Philly traffic?
Politics Behind the Bench
Trial lawyer PACs like LawPAC and the Committee for a Better
Tomorrow have funneled over $15 million into campaign donations since
2017. The top two judges backed by trial bar money? Both sit on the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court. That same court has made sweeping rulings against
business defendants, including allowing duplicative damages and junk
science into courtrooms.
Forum Shopping Is Back
In 2022, the PA Supreme Court overturned the medical venue
rule, which used to keep malpractice cases in the county where treatment
happened. Now? Lawyers file anywhere a doctor has an office, and guess where
they all end up? That’s right, Philadelphia.
43% of all med-mal cases filed in Philly in 2023–24 had nothing
to do with care delivered in the city. They were filed there because
plaintiffs know that’s where the jackpot is.
The Impact on Trucking
- More
claims filed in Philly = higher loss ratios for insurers
- Bigger
jury awards = higher reserves on every open case
- Tougher
venue rules = fewer settlements, more defense costs
- Carrier
exits and market contraction
If you operate anywhere near Pennsylvania, your insurance
pricing reflects this risk, even if you’ve never had a claim.
What Needs to Happen
The state legislature needs to:
- Rein
in venue abuse
- Cap
noneconomic damages
- Bar
third-party litigation funding
- Reinstate
expert evidence standards
Until then, expect Philly to stay hot, and insurance
carriers to keep pulling out.
You can run a clean operation, but if your claim lands in
the wrong courtroom, your coverage better be airtight.
How to Push Reform Forward
Sick of waiting for lawmakers to fix it? Us too. Here's how
to actually get involved:
Join PMTA (Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association)
They're leading the charge on tort reform and fighting for
trucking at the state level.
www.pmta.org/join
(717) 761‑7122
Call Your State Lawmakers
Tell your state rep and senator (not federal) that
lawsuit abuse is crushing your operation.
Use this tool to look up your legislators:
www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator
Script idea:
Hi, I run a trucking company in your district. The court
system is stacked against us, and I support the tort reform package introduced
in late 2024. We need seatbelt evidence allowed, limits on lawsuit funding, and
caps on attorney fees. Please push this forward in 2025–2026.
Watch for Advocacy Events
Check PMTA’s news and events page for hearings, rallies, and
action alerts.
www.pmta.org/news
Vote With Reform in Mind
Look up candidate positions before you cast a ballot. Trial
lawyer PACs are loud. Trucking needs to be louder.
www.paforciviljusticereform.org
Make Some Noise
Post about your insurance hikes. Talk about real claims
you’ve dealt with. Share what keeps you up at night. Trucking voices matter
more than lobbyists when they’re backed by facts.
You don’t have to sit on the sidelines. Show up. Speak up.
This industry doesn’t move unless we push.
Final Word
Pennsylvania courts are still the most brutal in the country
for trucking. The reform train never left the station. Trial lawyers are still
driving the bus.
Stay sharp. Stay insured. And stay ready. In PA, the hits
come hard and fast.
Need a second look at your limits or exposure in PA?
We’ll walk your policy line by line and tell you if you’re wide open or ready
for court.
Just ask. info@trucku.biz
Disclosure:
This post is for educational purposes only. It’s not legal advice, insurance advice, or a substitute for calling your agent. We’re good, but we’re not psychic. Policies vary, laws change, and courtrooms get weird. Don’t make decisions based solely on something you read on the internet, unless it’s from us, in writing, with your name on it.
All opinions are our own and do not represent the views of any carrier, employer, or underwriting department that occasionally wishes we were quieter on LinkedIn.
.png)