Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Mike Collins (GA-10) and Brandon Gill (TX-26) introduced the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act to make intentionally staging a crash with a motor vehicle a federal crime.

“Criminal elements are launching an assault against America’s truckers, in the courtroom and on our roads. Staged accidents take advantage of truckers’ high insurance coverage and make them prime targets for criminals looking for a quick payday, saddling truckers with millions of dollars in inflated damages, increasing insurance premiums for all Americans, and driving up the costs for every transported good,” said Rep. Mike Collins. “The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act will hold these fraudsters and their co-conspirators accountable and stop the ‘nuclear verdicts’ that are bankrupting truckers across the country.”

“I’m proud to co-lead the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act with Rep. Mike Collins, because protecting truck drivers from criminal fraud is essential to keeping our highways safe and our economy moving. With Texas being a critical freight corridor for our entire economy, we must send a clear message: staging a crash with a commercial vehicle isn’t a payday—it’s a federal crime,” said Rep. Brandon Gill.

“When con artists seeking a big payday intentionally collide with commercial motor vehicles, their reckless disregard for safety puts innocent truck drivers and the motoring public at risk.  These unscrupulous individuals perpetuate their selfish actions by filing frivolous lawsuits against honest trucking companies, raising costs for consumer goods and contributing to soaring insurance premiums,” said American Trucking Associations Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom. “ATA commends Congressmen Mike Collins and Brandon Gill for introducing the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act, which would close legal loopholes that criminals are exploiting to attack America’s hardworking truckers.  By establishing clear, enforceable criminal penalties that apply to all of the conspirators involved in staged collisions, we can finally put an end to this dangerous and costly practice.”

“On behalf of the Georgia Motor Trucking Association, hundreds of family-owned trucking interests, and Georgia’s 74,000+ truckers, we stand in strong support of the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act sponsored by Georgia’s own Congressman Mike Collins. One in 12 Georgians work in the trucking industry spread across 95,000+ companies. 76% of Georgia communities are completely dependent on truckers to deliver the goods they need, and our industry moves over 363,000 tons of manufactured goods each day in Georgia – 96.9% of total manufactured tonnage. In today’s economy, truckers are recovering from a multi-year freight recession and facing higher insurance rates, rising operational costs, and depressed volumes. Additionally, our industry is facing new threats from highly sophisticated cargo theft and accident staging. The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act will provide desperately needed federal guardrails and accountability structures for these growing threats. The Georgia Motor Trucking Association has been the voice of Georgia’s trucking industry for over 90 years, and we are grateful to Congressman Collins and Congressman Gill for their steadfast leadership on behalf of our industry,” said Seth Millican, President & CEO of the Georgia Motor Trucking Association.

“Staged accidents are not victimless crimes. These are calculated, premeditated assaults that endanger lives, destroy livelihoods, and compromise highway safety. To add insult to injury, criminals abuse the legal system for profit through false accusations and lawsuits, which contribute to skyrocketing insurance premiums for small trucking businesses,” said Lewie Pugh, Executive Vice President, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members support Representative Collins and his commonsense legislation to protect law-abiding truckers from sophisticated criminal fraud schemes that exploit the hardworking men and women behind the wheel.”

“The Texas Trucking Association strongly supports the Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act of 2025. This critical legislation will protect hardworking truck drivers and companies from the growing threat of staged accidents, which jeopardizes road safety and imposes significant financial burdens on the trucking industry. By targeting these fraudulent schemes, this bill ensures fairness and promotes a safer transportation system for everyone,” said John D. Esparza, President & CEO of the Texas Trucking Association.

Background

Increasingly, con artists in passenger vehicles are intentionally colliding with commercial motor vehicles to file frivolous lawsuits, seeking damages that often exceed seven figures. These accidents endanger highway travelers, drive up the costs of insurance, and put small owner-operators out of business. Despite a rise in staged truck accidents, few states have taken action to crack down on this criminal activity.

The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act establishes clear, enforceable criminal penalties for those who stage these collisions, as well as the attorneys, physicians, and other co-conspirators who knowingly participate in this fraud.

The Staged Accident Fraud Prevention Act is supported by:

• The American Trucking Associations
• Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
• Truckload Carriers Association
• Georgia Motor Trucking Association
• Texas Trucking Association