The trucking industry in Louisiana says insurance and lawsuit abuse are its biggest concerns in 2025.
Renee Amar, the executive director of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, says the cost of insurance is driving truckers out of the state.
“I have seen truckers fleeing the state of Louisiana, going to neighboring states and setting up shop there, because they have much more affordable truck insurance,” Amar said.
Amar says the insurance environment in Louisiana is ripe for fraud, especially when it comes to staged accidents. She says truckers have to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets and are forced to wait years before their cases can be prosecuted.
“Even if, at some point, you can file a civil suit and have a judgment against these people, nobody is recouping your insurance premiums for you,” Amar said.
Amar says while she’s happy that the bill that stopped payments to those more than 50% at fault for accidents became law in this year’s session, she’s upset that the medical transparency bill didn’t.
“We’re paying for these bills that might be a $100,000, even though the insurance and the healthcare provider and the trial lawyer is settling for maybe a $20,000 bill,” Amar explained.
Amar says the Louisiana trucking industry will try again in next year’s regular session to get that bill passed and onto Governor Landry’s desk.