TIDA's Victories & Setbacks Series

One of the biggest benefits of TIDA is learning from the experiences of other TIDA members. That is true when things go well... and when they don’t. For over a decade, the plaintiffs’ bar has coordinated their discovery and trial strategies in an effort to drive up verdicts and settlements in trucking cases. And there is no doubt that their strategy has worked.

In an effort to coordinate the defense, TIDA hosts a series for defense attorneys and trucking claim professionals entitled “Victories & Setbacks” to share information about recent trial results – so that we can all be more effective in defending the trucking industry. Each installment will feature an in-depth discussion about a recent verdict in a trucking case, from a brief recitation of the facts, through discovery challenges, motions practice, voir dire, trial, and verdict. The goal is to give you practical take-aways that you can implement in your own work.

If you have a recent trial result (good or bad) that you would like to share in a future installment of this series, submit your request to be featured here.

Upcoming Webinar

Defense Verdict in Florida after Motorcycle Collision with Tractor-Trailer Resulted in TBI and Quadriplegia

Tuesday, December 9, 2025
1:00 pm Eastern

Attorneys Raul Alvarez, Jeff Thompson, and Matt Schreck, with the law firm of Alvarez, Thompson & Smoak, recently obtained a defense verdict in Florida for a commercial truck driver involved in a collision with a motorcycle.

As the truck driver was making a left turn across a highway, a motorcycle collided with the back of his tractor and front of his trailer. Plaintiff’s counsel argued that the truck driver should have seen the motorcycle before initiating his left-hand turn and that the motorcyclist had the right of way. Plaintiff’s counsel also argued that the tractor-trailer was blocking all lanes of travel and Plaintiff could not have avoided the collision.

The 27-year-old Plaintiff suffered a traumatic brain injury and was a quadriplegic as a result of the collision.  Plaintiff’s counsel presented $1.8 million in uncontested past medical expenses and a $28 million life care plan. The truck driver had a $1 million insurance policy.

Plaintiff’s counsel argued that the truck driver’s insurance policy limit was not offered fast enough, and he sought an excess verdict in order to pursue a subsequent claim for bad faith. The jury found that the operator of the tractor-trailer was not negligent and returned a defense verdict.

Come hear Raul Alvarez talk about his personal take-aways from this terrific win. You will leave this session with some practice pointers that you can use in your litigated cases.

NOTE: TIDA webinars are free and open to active TIDA members only. Your registration will be reviewed by TIDA to ensure your membership is active. Make sure to register with the same credentials that are on your member profile.

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