A recent study that explored the skyrocketing rise in jury awards against trucking companies went beyond the numbers to seek expert input from attorneys, insurance industry experts, motor carrier safety personnel and industry economists on what fleets can do to protect themselves. The study, from the American Transportation Research Institute, examined data from 600 court cases. It concluded that awards in what are commonly called “nuclear” jury verdicts against motor carriers, or those generally totaling $10 million or more, have been on a steep rise since 2010. In fact, from 2010-2018, the average size of jury verdicts in trucking trials rose from $2.3 million to $22.2 million — an increase of 967%.