>>>
>>> I
>>> I WANT TO FOCUS ON YOUR FAMILY SAFETY.
FAMILY SAFETY. A LANDMARK 4@CASE COULD CHANGE
THE WAY YOU ARE PROTECTED ON
THE HIGHWAY.
THE HIGHWAY. A SERIES OF REPORTS ON DEADLY
CRUTCHES, UNDERWRITE ACCIDENT
STARTED IN 2017.
A COURT CASE INVOLVING ONE OF
THOSE ACCIDENTS LED TO THE
BIGGEST EVER VERDICT AGAINST A
TRUCKING COMPANY AND EXPOSE HOW
INDUSTRY LEADERS SECRETLY
FOUGHT NEW FEATURES THAT WOULD
KEEP YOU SAFE EVEN THOUGH THEY
KNEW THE RISKS.
>> Reporter: IT WAS AN ACCIDENT
LIKE THIS ONE, A CAR UNDERNEATH
A TRACTOR-TRAILER, THAT KILLED
16-YEAR-OLD RILEY ON A NEW
MEXICO INTERSTATE IN 2015.
>> CAME BACK UNDERNEATH THE
TRAILER, THE TRUCK DRIVER DRUG
HIS CAR FOR HALF A MILE UNTIL
IT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND HE BURNED
TO DEATH.
TO DEATH.
TO DEATH. >> HIS DAD NOW FIGHTING FOR
CHANGE, LAST MONTH, A NEW
MEXICO JURY AWARDING THE FAMILY
A $42 MILLION VERDICT IN A
LAWSUIT AGAINST THE TRUCKING
COMPANY AND TRAILER MANUFACTURER
FOR NEGLIGENCE.
FOR NEGLIGENCE. ALL FOR NOT HAVING ONE OF THESE.
IT IS CALLED A SIDE 4@GUARD AND
IT IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT
VEHICLES FROM SLIDING
UNDERNEATH THE SIDE OF AN 18
WHEELER IN AN ACCIDENT.
WE FIRST MET 4@ERIC AT A CRASH
TEST IN SOUTHWEST DC LAST MARCH
WHERE ADVOCATES GATHERED TO
DEMONSTRATE HOW SI4@DE GUARDS
WERE4@.
WERE4@.
WERE4@. RIGHT NOW THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED
ON TRAILERS, EVEN THOUGH THE
TRUCKING INDUSTRY'S OWN EXPERT
AT TRIAL ADMITTED HUNDREDS DIE
EVERY YEAR IN UNDERWRITE
ACCIDENTS WITH TRACTOR-TRAILERS.
RATHER THAN INCLUDING THEM 4@ON
TRUCKS, INTERNAL DOCUMENTS,
WHICH CAME TO LIGHT IN RILEY'S
CASE, REVEALED THE TRUCKING
INDUSTRY HAS BEEN FIGHTING THE
USE OF SIDE GUARDS FOR YEARS,
THIS LETTER FROM THE TRUCK
TRAILER MANUFACTURERS
TRAILER MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION ASKING ALL THE
MAJOR TRAILER MANUFACTURERS
DATA ON THE POTENTIAL COSTS OF
SIDE GUARDS TO QUOTE, DEVELOP
AND EVALUATE POSSIBLE DEFENSE
STRATEGIES TO FIGHT LAWSUITS.
THAT SURVEY, 2004, JUST ONE
YEAR AFTER A TRUCKING COMPANY
IN TEXAS WAS SUED FOR NEGLIGENCE
IN A SIDE UNDERWRITE ACCIDENT.
THE VICTIM'S FAMILY IN THAT
CASE, AWARDED $36 MILLION IN
WHAT WAS THE LARGEST VERDICT
INSI4@DE UNDERWRITE LAWSUITS
UNTIL NOW.
UNTIL NOW. SUSPECT 4@THIS IS A TRAGEDY THA
IS PREVENTABLE.
IS PREVENTABLE. I DON'T WANT ANY OTHER FAMILY
TO FEEL LIKE WE HAVE.
>> Reporter: AFTER OUR STORIES
REPORTS, BIG RIGS RISK, KIRSTEN
GILLIBRAND INTRODUCED
GILLIBRAND INTRODUCED BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO SAVE
LIVES 4@BY REQUIRING THOSE
UNDERWRITE GUARDS ON THE SIDES
AND FRONT OF SEMITES AS WELL AS
UPDATING STANDARDS FOR
UNDERWRITE GUARDS ON THE BACKS
OF TRUCKS.
OF TRUCKS. WHICH ARE ALREADY REQUIRED BY
LAW BUT OFTEN DON'T HOLD UP IN
ACCIDENTS.
ACCIDENTS. >> AND ARE REPORTING ONE OF THE
MAIN PROBLEMS HAS BEEN THAT THI@
BREAK HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD FOR
DECADES AND NO ONE HAS BEEN
SUCCESSFUL IN CREATING CHANGE.
>> IN A SHOCKING HOW THIS HAS
HURT FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES ALL
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> Reporter: TWO YEARS LATER
THAT LEGISLATION IS STUCK IN
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. TRUCK SAFETY ADVOCATES BELIEVE
THIS HUGE JUDGMENT LIKE THE ONE
IN RILEY'S CASE MAY BE THE ONLY
THIS HUGE JUDGMENT LIKE THE ONE IN RILEY'S CASE MAY BE THE ONLY@
WAY TO FORCE CHANGE.
>> THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT
RESULT IN THESE VE4@RDICTS WHIC
CAN PUSH SOMEONE INTO
BANKRUPTCY.
BANKRUPTCY. REMAIN THE TRUCKING COMPANY IS
OUT OF BUSINESS AND WILL NOT
HAVE TO PAY ITS SHARE OF THAT
MASSIVE JUDGMENT.
MASSIVE JUDGMENT. THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER,
UTILITY TRAILER MANUFACTURING
COMPANY, PROMISING TO APPEAL
THE NEARLY $19 MILLION IT WAS
ORDERED TO PAY 4@FOR ITS PART T
JUDGMENT.
JUDGMENT.
JUDGMENT. RILEY'S FATHER SAYING THE MONEY
NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE MESSAGE
, THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY CAN BE
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDERWRITE
TEST.
TEST.
TEST. >>
TEST. >> HE WOULD BE 4@PROUD OF IT.4@
HE WOULD LET US GO ON.
HE WOULD WANT US TO GO ON.
FOR THE VERDICT WILL BE
APPEALED.
APPEALED.
APPEALED. THAT COULD TAKE YEARS.
RILEY'S DAD SAID THE TRUCKING
MANUFACTURER OFFERED THE FAMILY
RILEY'S DAD SAID THE TRUCKING MANUFACTURER OFFERED THE FAMILY@
OF $14 MILLION SETTLEMENT TH4@E
WAS A CATCH.
THE CASE AND ALL THOSE INTERNAL
4@DOCUMENTS WOULD HAVE TO BE
4@
4@DOCUMENTS WOULD HAVE TO BE SEALED AND THE FAMILY COULD NOT
SPEAK PUBLICLY.
SPEAK PUBLICLY. HE SAID THEY REJECTED THE DEAL
BECAUSE IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT
FOR THEM THAT ALL OF THIS GO
PUBLIC.4@
PUBLIC.4@
PUBLIC.4@ WE ASKED THE TRUCK TRAILER
MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION AND
THE TRUCKING MANUFACTURER
UTILITY TRAILER MANUFACTURING
COMPANY FOR COMMENT, BUT
NEITHER HAS RESPONDED.