Caps on Damages – the Silent Tax
The insurance and logging lobbies have pressured legislators to move a bill out of committee that will place a cap (limit) on the damages people can recover when they are injured or a loved one is killed by a logging truck. Caps on damages in medical malpractice have not resulted in reduced insurance rates. Caps on damages caused by logging trucks won’t reduce insurance rates and caps won’t improve safety either. Overloaded logging trucks caused huge damages to our roads. Poorly maintained logging trucks and negligent drivers cause catastrophic injuries. When a breadwinner for the family is hurt, the entire family suffers. Insurance companies can drag out the case for years. What happens to these families while their cases are being delayed by the insurance companies? The family suffers and frequently has no choice but to apply for public aid. In other words, you and I through the taxes we pay end up holding the bag for the logging industry.
The legislators, that have been pressured by insurance and logging lobbies, claim they are worried about the logging industry. Shouldn’t they also be worried about public safety, Louisiana families and the taxes we pay. The logging industry should be required to follow safety rules, maintain and not overload their trucks. Placing a cap on damages sends the wrong message to the logging industry. Placing a cap on damages tells the logging industry not to worry about public safety and not to worry about maintaining their trucks.
Don’t Buy the Big Lie!
Tell your legislators that you don’t buy the big lie. Tell them that the public needs to be protected. Logging trucks, just like our own vehicles need to be driven safely and properly maintained. If loggers cause damages, they need to pay for the harms and losses they cause, just like everyone else. Taxpayers should not have to pick up the tab for negligent loggers and log truck drivers.
Alan Seabaugh
seabaugha@legis.la.gov
Robert Mills
sen36@legis.la.gov
Thomas Pressly
hse006@legis.la.gov
Barry Milligan
sen38@legis.la.gov
