Our team recently attended the National Trial Lawyers' first Truck & Auto Accident Summit in Chicago. Between sessions on settlement language, complex trucking liability, and jury selection, we came away with practical strategies worth sharing.
The summit featured numerous sessions on legal strategy, negotiation, and client advocacy. Several stood out for approaches attendees could apply immediately.
Amber Hall's session underscored the importance of precise, impactful language when negotiating with defense attorneys. When defense claims a client had pre-existing injuries, her response is that justice is not reserved for perfect specimens of health; clients with prior conditions are equally deserving of full justice.
When defense downplays a crash as “low impact,” she counters by highlighting the force involved, noting that a typical compact car weighs around 3,000 pounds, far beyond what the human body is built to endure.
She also advised evolving language to represent the client's experience: consistently say “crash” rather than “accident,” and “crashed into from behind” rather than “rear-ended.” The shift changes how a case is perceived.
Christy Childers urged attorneys to look beyond the usual suspects when identifying defendants in trucking cases. Depending on the facts, it may be strategic to include:
Doug Beam and Travis Mohler stressed understanding jury selection mechanics in your jurisdiction, and the value of local expertise, such as knowing the judge's preferences. They cautioned against fighting to keep clearly biased jurors, which can damage credibility.
One strategic tip: use voir dire to introduce the concept of high damages early, especially where asking for specific damages at trial isn't permitted, setting a high anchor you can revisit in closing arguments.
From powerful settlement language to identifying the full spectrum of liable parties and mastering jury selection, the insights we gained will sharpen how we serve clients in truck and auto accident cases, and we look forward to putting them to work.
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