Trial is the monthly journal of the American Association for Justice (“AAJ”), formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association (“ATLA”). Its issue for February, 2017, covers “TRANSPORTATION,” with its cover subtitled “Battling Trucker Opioids Use” and “The Uneven Terrain of DRIVERLESS CARS”.
February 2016’s Trial features five lead articles: (1) “MAKING OUR HIGHWAYS SAFER: A Silent Epidemic,” about how “opioid use increasingly contributes to motor vehicle collisions caused by truck drivers,” id. at 22-26; (2) “Holding FAST Against Transportation Brokers,” about how transportation brokers may try to use the new FAST Act preemptively to avoid liability for negligent hiring when a “poorly vetted trucking company causes a collision,” id. at 26-31; (3) “MARCH OF THE MACHINES” about automation, road-testing, regulation and liability for rapidly advancing driveless vehicle technology, i.e., highly automated vehicles (“HAVs”) a/k/a driverless or robot cars, id. at 34-38; (4) “DEBUNKING JUNK SCIENCE IN Train Crash Cases” about discrediting the highly-controversial “loss of situational awareness” defense theory in train collision and derailment cases, id. at 40-41; and (5) “The Landscape of Distracted Driving” about an increasing deadly problem with visual-manual and cognitive aspects. Id. at 44-48.
Trial for February, 2017, also reports three vehicle accident cases in its “Verdicts & SETTLEMENTS”: (1) “Railroad’s failure to timely act on buckled track leads to fatal derailment” highlights a $8,500,000.00 2016 Illinois settlement of companion wrongful death cases, one involving a lawyer driving his car, id. at 10; (2) “Helicopter’s non-energy-absorbing seats injure passengers” chronicles a $3,300,000.00 2016 Missouri settlement for companion personal injury cases of two healthcare providers, id. at 10, 12; and (3) “Tired trucker rear-ends sedan, injuring infant” marquees a whopping $27,500,000.00 2016 Texas settlement of a personal injury suit for a two-week old boy. Id. at 12.
Mr. Waterman has been a member of AAJ/ATLA for 30 years. His practice focuses on motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and other cases of wrongful death, brain injury, paralysis, and other serious personal injuries.
