Connecticut lawmakers have approved legislation that would eliminate vicarious liability for truck lessors as long as the loss is insured for $2 million --
either through the lessor, lessee or any combination of coverage.
The bill's provisions are limited to apply only to trucks with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 10,000 pounds or more under lease agreements of one year or more.
The final legislation, Substitute House Bill 6546, was approved earlier this month by the Senate and the House. The bill now goes to Gov. John Rowland who is expected to sign it into law.
When introduced in March 2003, the legislation would have eliminated vicarious liability for all rented and leased vehicles.
The Truck Rental and Leasing Assn. (TRALA) opposed amendments that were approved in May that limited the bill's provisions to only long-term leases of private passenger automobiles.
TRALA worked aggressively to further amend the bill to include both truck rental and truck leasing under its provisions, despite strong opposition from the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Assn. TRALA successfully amended the bill to exempt truck leasing companies from unlimited vicarious liability claims in Connecticut. However, the legislature did not include an exemption for truck rentals in the legislation.
TRALA officials said they will continue to seek federal legislation that exempts both truck renting and truck leasing from state vicarious liability laws.
For more information, contact TRALA's Tom James at (703) 299-9120.