Truckers Sound the Alarm on South Carolina’s Costly Lawsuit Abuse

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by WILL FOLKS

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Truckers descended on the South Carolina State House this week – urging lawmakers to take long-overdue action to correct an anti-competitive legal climate that is crushing Palmetto State consumers and businesses alike.

At approximately 2:15 p.m. EST on Wednesday afternoon (January 21, 2026), the frigid air surrounding the capital complex was pierced by the sound of dozens of truck horns – which blared forth a clarion call for reform even as the Palmetto State’s über-wealthy trial lawyer lobby attempted to silence the movement.

Sources familiar with the event say the trial lawyers – who have declared war on truckers and their industry via aggressive and dishonest advertising campaigns – sought to shut down the State House demonstration by encouraging Columbia, S.C. police to cite truck drivers for violating the city’s noise ordinance.

Rick Todd, president and chief executive officer of the S.C. Trucking Association, led the gathering – which included hundreds of truckers and industry supporters hosting a reception at which they encouraged lawmakers to finally, at long last, stand up to the trial lawyer lobby.

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“For too long, the voices of truckers, warehouse workers, and small business employees have been drowned out in the noise of special interests and insider politics,” Todd wrote in a letter (.pdf) to lawmakers. “These aren’t lobbyists honking these horns. These are real people trying to make an honest living in a time when everything, from fuel to insurance to groceries, costs more than ever.”

“They’ve asked for relief,” Todd added. “They’ve waited for real tort reform. They’re still waiting.”

FITSNews interviewed Todd on the north steps of the State House following the rally to get his thoughts on the status of the lawsuit reform debate – and the powerful, entrenched forces arrayed against reform.

“Lawsuit abuse continues to drive up the cost of doing business in South Carolina,” Todd said. “That cost gets passed down to everyday people. It affects prices, insurance premiums, and the stability of jobs in our communities. We believe the legislature can fix this but only if it acts now. This horn blast is a reminder: working-class South Carolinians are watching and they’re praying that you do something real for them this session.”

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???? Our @TheWillFolks spoke with Rick Todd, president and CEO of @SCTruckingAssoc, about the "unlimited resources" the S.C. Trial Lawyer lobby continues to throw in support of our broken "justice" system. "The other side is never going to quit," Todd said. pic.twitter.com/nrKVp9rILG

— FITSNews (@fitsnews) January 22, 2026

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According to Todd’s organization, at the heart of South Carolina’s nationally infamous “justice” system is an inherent unfairness built around “outsized financial responsibility” placed on civil defendants with “minimal fault.”

“Liability rules with conflicting and indistinguishable exceptions, inflated medical billing practices, nuclear verdicts and coerced settlements, and punitive damage abuse have transformed tort liability into an economic transfer mechanism, not a safety or fair restitution tool,” Todd’s group noted.

This anti-competitive climate creates higher insurance premiums, reduced investment by businesses and increased costs to consumers – all while failing to provide a guarantee of just compensation to those legitimately injured in accidents involving trucks.

Fundamentally fixing this system appeared to be in view last session, but a self-interested clique of so-called “Republican” state senators backstabbed majority leader Shane Massey – the sponsor of a comprehensive overhaul of the Palmetto State’s civil justice statutes.

As that betrayal unfolded, the tactics used by the trial lawyer lobby were on full display – and were encapsulated most egregiously via a stunning admission from state senator Tom Fernandez.

“Let me say the quiet part out loud,” Fernandez said prior to detailing what he claimed was an effort by trial lawyers to raise $50,000 to $100,000 for his reelection if he opposed Massey’s bill.

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FITSNews raised Fernandez’s comments with Todd during our interview with him on the State House steps.

“Everybody knows what goes on but he said what nobody is willing to say – and of course the place shut down after that,” Todd said.

While Todd told us he couldn’t specifically say “what contributed” to Fernandez’s dramatic admission, he said he didn’t “believe somebody would say something like that unless it actually did occur.”

“Those are the forces and the unlimited resources that we’re up against,” Todd continued, referring to the trial lawyer lobby. “And that side of the bar makes a lot of money – I mean a lot of money – and they don’t want to change the game. Because they can basically recruit and screen and elect – (or) help elect – the judges they want, and then they get to practice in front of them. And they make the rules with the law. If I was one of them, I wouldn’t want to change it either.”

Be on the lookout for FITSNews full interview with Todd – and additional coverage of the truckers’ rally – as we continue to draw a bead on the broader battle for justice reform in the Palmetto State.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.

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