TIDA Virtual Annual Seminar

The Trucking Industry Defense Association's (TIDA) Annual Seminar is the premier event for motor carriers, trucking insurers, defense attorneys and claims servicing companies. 2020 debuted the first ever virtual Annual Seminar, structured as a series of webinars throughout the month of October. Even though TIDA decided to go virtual with the Annual Seminar, the goal still remained the same for all in-person Annual Seminars: for attendees to have the opportunity to receive the best educational sessions and networking opportunities.

Missed the 2020 Annual Seminar? Click on the dates below (or scroll) to review the scheduled events for the 2020 Annual Seminar. 

October 6 | October 13 | October 20 | October 27

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Learning from the Legends: The Biggest Mistake I Ever Made | 1:00 - 2:00 P.M. EDT

Learn some of professional life's most important lessons from legends within the trucking defense industry. Trucking company, insurance, industry, and attorney superheros will put themselves in the spotlight to share their biggest mistakes with us so we don't have to make them ourselves.

Meet the Presenters:

Charles Carr - Co-founder and Partner at Carr Allison

Co-founder and name partner of the southeast-based civil defense firm Carr Allison, Charles Carr has more than 40 years of litigation experience in state and federal courts throughout Alabama. During his career, Charles has litigated matters throughout the United States, including New York, Texas, Vermont, Arkansas, California, Florida, Mississippi and Illinois. He has served as national coordinating counsel on complex and catastrophic personal injury cases in some 25 states for a major national insurance carrier. Additionally, he has served as national trial counsel for Swift Transportation, YRC and AutoZone.
Charles has tried more than 250 matters in 50 of the 67 counties in Alabama. In 2016, Charles was honored with the John T. Biezup Memorial Service Award which is given for service and commitment to the defense of the trucking industry by the Transportation Industry Defense Association (TIDA).

Rebecca Gregg - Senior Claims Specialist at Napa River Insurance Services

Rebecca is an experienced insurance adjuster with a talent for complex problem-solving. As a dedicated Senior Claims Specialist, she strives to develop strong working relationships with her clients, handling claims within their self-insured retentions. Rebecca has experience handling claims in all 50 states, including handling losses involving commercial trucking, injury, litigation, liability, garagekeepers, cargo, property, total loss, catastrophe and physical damage claims. Rebecca received a B.A. in Education from Indiana University.

Tom McLaughlin - Director of Risk Management and Claims at Transport America and CFI

Tom McLaughlin is the Director of Risk Management & Claims for Transport America and CFI in Eagan, MN. His responsibilities include overseeing all auto, general liability, workers comp and cargo claims, as well as risk management functions. Transport America and CFI are truckload carriers, with over 4000 combined power units and 4,500 drivers. Both companies are wholly owned by TFI International. Tom has over 39 years insurance claims experience, with the past 24 concentrated directly on trucking. Tom served on the Board of Directors for the Trucking Industry Defense Association from 2002-2011, and is co-chair of TIDA’s Skills Course. He formerly served as co-Dean for the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance School of Transportation Claims.

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Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Unmaking the Jury: How 2020 is Shaping the Future of Jury Trials | 1:00 - 2:15 P.M. EDT

The presentation will examine juror attitude in the age of COVID and social unrest. Using data provided by Magna Legal Services, the presentation will discuss how the rapid change in juror attitudes may impact jury trials and examine pre-trial strategies in light of such attitudes.

Meet the Presenters:

Rachel York Colangelo - National Managing Director of Jury Consulting, Magna Legal Services

Rachel York Colangelo is Magna Legal Services’ National Managing Director of Jury Consulting. Dr. Colangelo has a doctorate in legal psychology from Florida International University and a B.A. in psychology and sociology from the University of Virginia. Her education involved extensive coursework and research training, specifically in the area of jury decision-making. Dr. Colangelo has over 15 years of experience in litigation consulting and has provided insights on a variety of civil and criminal matters across the country in the form of jury research, including focus groups, mock trials, damages assessment studies, and community attitude services, as well as other trial preparation strategies such as case analysis and theme/storyline development voir dire consultation, jury selection, witness preparation, shadow juries, trial monitory, and post-trial juror interviews.

Jennifer Crow - Partner at Scheer.Law PLLC

Jennifer Crow is a Partner with Scheer.Law PLLC. She practices in the areas of construction defect, premises liability, personal injury, professional liability, insurance coverage, and commercial litigation. Prior to starting Scheer.Law PLLC with her law partner, Jennifer worked for an insurance defense firm in Portland, where she focused on the defense of personal injury and construction defect claims. She has represented clients in mediations, arbitrations, and both bench and jury trials. Before she entered law school, Jennifer worked in operations finance for a semiconductor company.

John H. Shaffery - Managing Partner at Poole Shaffery & Koegle, LLP

John H. Shaffery is the managing partner of Poole Shaffery & Koegle, LLP, a Southern California based law firm. Among its diverse practice groups, the firm’s trucking and transportation group is one of its core practice areas, handling all aspects of claims and losses including catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, environmental/incidental damages, cargo damages, and employment and hiring practices. Having over 26 years of civil litigation experience, John has tried 11 cases within the last 7 years in four different counties in California, including 5 transportation cases. In addition to TIDA, John is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and Themis Advocates Group.

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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

How to Bounce Back After a Big Loss | 1:00 - 2:00 P.M. EDT

Taking a big loss is one of the hardest things that a trial lawyer has to do.  And eventually it happens to all of us. Bobby Shannon will share his story of taking not just one - but two - big losses in a row which left him professionally drained and doubting his ability as an effective advocate. Bobby will also tell us how he picked up the pieces and moved past this very difficult professional defeat and became even more effective representing his clients.

Meet the Presenter:

Robert L. Shannon - Carlton Fields, P.A.

Robert "Bobby" Shannon is a national trial lawyer who has tried more than 72 cases to verdict. Known across the country as a go-to trial lawyer, Bobby has parachuted in to 250 matters shortly before trial was set to begin. Bobby has built a national reputation for his skills in litigation strategy and crisis management. Bobby’s experience as a trial lawyer is bolstered by decades of service in the U.S. Air Force.

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Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Stranded on the Open Road: “I’m out of hours and there are no parking spaces.” | 1:00 - 2:00 P.M. EDT

A discussion of the challenges in handling claims and litigation involving accidents with a parked commercial vehicle, including discussion of potentially applicable municipal and state laws, the potential defenses available, and the potential use of experts in defending such cases. This presentation will also include a discussion of the potential impact of contents of contents of a driver manual on this type claim/litigation as well as other types of claims from the standpoint of an experienced liability claims examiner and defense counsel.

Meet the Presenters:

Nicole Spellecy - Senior Liability Claims Adjuster at Canal Insurance Company

Ms. Spellecy graduated with a degree in Accounting and Information System from Goldey -Beacom College in Delaware.  She started investing injury claims in 2006, while working for Nationwide Insurance, handling personal lines claims. In 2011, she joined Employers Mutual Insurance Company where she was a Multi lines adjuster.   In 2015 she moved to Great West Casualty Company and then to Canal in 2017, where she continued to specialize in the investigation of trucking and bodily injury claims, and the litigation process.  She enjoys working on litigated files with insureds and defense counsel and attending mediations. 

  Carl K. Wyatt - Attorney at Glassman, Wyatt, Tuttle & Cox, P.C.

 Carl has spent his entire 30 plus year practice with the same firm in Memphis, Tn., and dedicates his practice to the defense of motor carriers and their insurers in the state and federal courts of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

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CE Credits

TIDA did not apply for CE/CLE credits for the seminar. Should you want to receive CE/CLE credit you should self submit through your state.