For decades, victims of Georgia trucking accidents have looked no further than the companies providing insurance coverage to motor carriers and their drivers. Alone among insurance cases, truck accidents were direct-action claims, providing injured parties a clear path toward resolution. Plaintiffs filed their actions directly against insurance carriers. When tracking down and serving trucking companies, drivers or other parties involved in their accidents proved difficult, the direct action right served injured parties well.

It was a good system for claimants, who could predictably recover large sums needed to pay for hospital and medical bills, rehabilitation, pain and suffering and potentially long-term or lifetime care. It was not a particularly good system for carriers, who walked into courtrooms with large targets on their backs. Juries saw deep pockets and tended to look no further.