Transportation Practice

Hall & Evans’ Transportation Practice Group provides comprehensive, effective legal guidance to clients across the United States and Canada. These clients include virtually every type of common or private carrier, including companies transporting goods and/or passengers by truck, bus, and rail. We also serve equipment manufacturers, insurers and third party administrators.

Our attorneys have significant depth and experience in virtually every legal issue facing transportation companies, including:

Arbitration;
Accident investigation;
Commercial Disputes;
Controlled Substances and alcohol testing and policies;
Department of Transportation rules and regulations;
Driver qualification;
Environmental issues and hazardous materials;
Labor and employment;
Litigation, including criminal defense, personal injury, property damage and wrongful death;
Lobbying and governmental relations;
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) compliance;
Property and Casualty losses; and
Risk Management and insurance.

In terms of accident investigation, Hall & Evans has identified and reached agreements with adjusters, accident re-constructionists and other experts who are particularly knowledgeable and experienced in trucking and railroad accidents. These individuals are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to assist our attorneys and clients in responding to transportation accidents in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region.

Railroad Litigation

Railroad litigation arises from workplace injuries, freight problems, fires, or grade crossing accidents. The resulting lawsuits we handle span the gamut from “run‑of‑the‑mill” personal injury or general liability matters to occupational disease or catastrophic injury issues.

We handle questions involving the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), the Locomotive Inspection Act, and the Safety Appliance Act, and we also handle other specialized concerns on behalf of clients such as employment law. In addition to our litigation practice we act as arbitrators in joint line agreements and provide expert witness services in liability disputes between railroads and other entities with potential responsibility for railroad injuries. We are also called upon by railroad excess insurers to evaluate their exposure in major injury cases.

Trucking Litigation

Our trucking clients include household goods, freight, and hazardous cargo carriers, as well as their insurers. We litigate issues involving driver response and technique, vehicle maintenance, stopping distances, driver hiring, log book violations, loading and unloading of goods and freight including issues under the Carmack Amendment, and alleged violations of federal regulations such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation as well as cargo losses and related claims under the Carmack Amendment.

We also litigate products liability actions on behalf of truck manufacturers, component parts manufacturers, and insurers. Design concerns we address include ride characteristics; cab entry and exit; operation and location of 5th wheel; split‑rim wheel design; spring, anti‑lock, and air brakes; truck doors; two‑speed axles; hydraulic and suspension systems, and adequacy of warnings.