On Tuesday, August 7, 2018, the American Bar Association approved the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys ("ATAA") as the first organization accredited to provide board certification in Truck Accident Law. Working in partnership with the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA), the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA) fights against unsafe practices that lead to truck crashes.
Membership in the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys is open to plaintiff lawyers only. Like other board certification programs, the designation as a legal specialist helps consumers choose a qualified attorney based on objectively verifiable credentials. Additionally, board certification programs recognize the benefits of specialization for unique and complicated practice areas.
In this context, the term "truck accident law" is defined to deal "with the procedural, substantive and practical issues unique to collision cases involving commercial tractor-trailers, buses, and other commercial motor vehicles and all of the people and entities in the transportation cycle."
The executive director of the ATAA is Lori Tepper. Andrew Colton is the communications director. The ATAA Board of Regents includes Founding Chair, Michael Leizerman of Toledo, OH, and Founding Chair, Joseph A. Fried of Atlanta, GA.
To become board certified as a specialist in truck accident law, the attorney must satisfy the requirements for eligibility in the specialty area and must complete the online application in its entirety prior to sitting for the examination.
The initial application must be received at least forty-five (45) days prior to the examination dates for the Spring or Fall Examination administration, although an applicant can request to take the examination before completing the application.
The first board certification exam for Truck Accident Law was conducted on November 10, 2018. An upcoming board certification exam for Truck Accident Law is scheduled for March 28, 2020. The deadline to register for the upcoming exam is March 6, 2020. The registration form for the March 28, 2020 board certification exam will be available on January 1, 2020.
The examination covers questions about the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Subchapter B, Chapter III, Subtitle B of the Code of Federal Regulations TITLE 49-Transportation), CDL Manual, Training Manuals and Related Cases.
Additional Resources
Information on Board Certification in Truck Accident Law - Visit the website of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys to find a recent announcement on board certification in Truck Accident Law in partnership with the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA). The board certification program for truck accident law is designed to help consumers choose a qualified truck accident lawyer with objectively verifiable credentials. Find eligibility requirements, application and registration forms, and dates for the first board certification exam.
2020 Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys Annual Symposium - Find information on the 2020 Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys Annual Symposium scheduled for September 23 - September 25, 2020, in downtown Dallas, Texas. The 2020 ATAA Annual Symposium will bring together the nuts and bolts of trucking litigation with a special session presented by ATAA’s New Trucking Lawyer Division.
At Lawyer Legion, we recognize the important role that the American Bar Association (ABA) approved board certification programs play for attorneys handling truck crash cases. This article was last updated on Thursday, February 6, 2020.
