Commercial Transportation

Overview

Lightfoot's trial-tested attorneys have decades of experience handling cases across the sector.

Lightfoot represents clients in virtually every sector of the commercial transportation industry, handling cases of all shapes and sizes across the country. From trains and buses to semitrucks and rental trailers, our attorneys excel at defending clients whose business is moving people and goods. We handle matters at all stages of the distribution chain, having represented component suppliers, original equipment manufacturers and end-use owners.

Our Commercial Transportation practice group has a deep bench of commercial transportation attorneys with decades of experience in this unique area. Heavy trucks, buses and trains are unlike other vehicles — they have varying weights, stopping distances, regulations and characteristics that must be taken into account should an accident occur. When it comes to large modes of transport, we have relationships and immediate access to the foremost experts in the country who understand the transportation industry, can analyze crash data and determine what actually caused the accident — and what didn’t.

A team of Lightfoot attorneys serves as national counsel for a major moving equipment and storage rental company. Our experience also includes cases involving tractor-trailer crashes, school bus accidents, rail yard accidents and a 30-car train derailment that led to multiple lawsuits. In addition to helping clients navigate NTSB and FRA investigations, we have a deep understanding of the federal laws and regulations that govern the commercial transportation industry.

Our firm also represents motor carriers — a favorite target of personal injury attorneys — as well as road builders, who are often not shielded by the immunity laws that protect the state agencies with whom they contract. We continually study the latest in commercial transportation technology, and have defended autonomous vehicle technologies and active safety systems such as lane departure, automatic braking and adaptive cruise control. When it comes to commercial transportation, Lightfoot has the knowledge, experience and skill set required to handle any case in any venue.

Lightfoot also has decades of experience representing automakers and component suppliers for passenger vehicles in claims related to airbag systems, seatbelt systems, crashworthiness and more. Learn more about our Automotive practice here.

Representative Matters

Obtaining a defense verdict for our client, a nationwide moving company, in a jury trial in which the plaintiff claimed debilitating back injuries and more than $1 million in damages after an auto accident involving our client’s tow dolly. The Louisiana jury returned a defense verdict after deliberating for less than 30 minutes.

Reaching a favorable settlement in Texas for our client, a nationwide moving company, in which the plaintiffs asserted product liability, negligence and wantonness allegations against our client, seeking millions of dollars in damages.

Securing a defense verdict on behalf of our clients in a trial arising out of a bus crash involving 15 fatalities and 14 injured passengers. The crash occurred in Arkansas and the suit was filed in Mississippi.

Handling school bus crash cases in Huntsville, Alabama, in which 33 school children were either killed or injured. At the time of our retention, a third motion for sanctions was pending and the case was set for trial in 30 days. We avoided sanctions, retained new experts and presented a vigorous defense that enabled the cases to be satisfactorily resolved.

Obtaining summary judgment for the manufacturer of a commercial vehicle collision mitigation system in a personal injury case in Michigan. The plaintiff alleged that she sustained severe neck injuries due to improper initiation and braking by the collision avoidance system on her semitruck.

Defending a road builder in a hydroplaning case brought on behalf of an injured minor and the estates of his two parents who were killed in the crash. The trial resulted in a hung jury, and the case was settled favorably before the second trial.

Defending a Fortune 100 railcar company in a class action lawsuit and individual cases alleging personal injuries and property damage resulting from a train derailment, as well as assisting in the related NTSB investigation.

Negotiating a very reasonable settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit in which a railroad conductor was killed while delivering rail cars to our client’s premises. The conductor was killed when his train backed up too far and off the end of a track, colliding with commodities. We were able to show that the conductor violated his employer’s safety rule that required him to dismount the train within 150 feet of the end of the track and proceed on foot.