TIDA Golf Tournament 
Steele Canyon (Registration required.)

TIDA Service Project 
Charity Tricycle Build Challenge (RSVP required - FULL)

TIDA Annual Seminar Registration Desk Open

Exhibitor Set-up & Video Recordings

Emerging Leaders Symposium & New Member Meet & Greet (RSVP on the registration form.)
3:00 - 4:00 pm - Emerging Leaders Symposium
4:00 - 4:30 pm - Speed Networking for New Members/Emerging Leaders
4:30 - 5:00 pm - TIDA Board and Committee Chair Meet & Greet for Members

Exhibit Hall Open

Welcome Reception
Sponsored by Tyson & Mendes
Cocktails, mocktails, and light hors d'oeuvres

Dine Arounds Hosted by the TIDA Emerging Leaders Subcommittee and TIDA IDEA Committee (RSVP required and will be available closer to the event.)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026

Breakfast 
Sponsored by Dickie McCamey Chilcote

Exhibit Hall Open

Annual Seminar Registration Desk Open

Opening Remarks & Awards
April Arnold, TIDA President 

Building the Fraud Narrative - The Offensive Civil RICO Strategy
Presented by: Shaleigh Jansen, Uber

This session examines how Uber has used civil RICO allegations to frame patterns of coordinated conduct involving plaintiff firms and medical providers, and how that framing reshapes discovery, motion practice, and case strategy. Attendees will explore how defense teams can identify recurring themes, build a cohesive fraud narrative, and use enterprise‑level allegations to challenge damages, credibility, and settlement leverage in high‑exposure claims.

TIDA TALK: Where Do We Go Post-Montgomery - How Best to Defend Brokers Against Negligent Selection and Agency Claims
Presented by: Sophia Bernard, Taylor Nelson Slattery Bernard PL

This presentation examines the evolving legal landscape for freight brokers following the decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC and the growing wave of negligent selection, negligent hiring, vicarious liability, and agency claims being asserted against freight brokers nationwide. As plaintiffs increasingly attempt to circumvent traditional defenses by characterizing brokers as safety gatekeepers or de facto motor carriers, transportation intermediaries face expanding exposure in catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation. The presentation explores the current state of broker liability law, trends in state and federal court decisions, and the impact of recent verdicts and settlements on defense strategy.

Networking Break

The Other Side of the 'V': A Plaintiff-Perspective Q&A
Presented by: Dana Fox, BD&J, PC  

This session features a candid, defense‑driven Q&A with recent defense-turned-plaintiff attorney Dana Fox, offering insight into how the plaintiff bar is adapting its approach throughout litigation—from case development and discovery to valuation and trial strategy. Dana’s unique perspective offers a contrast between the defense bar and plaintiff bar. Defense attorneys will have the opportunity to ask direct questions and gain perspective on emerging trends, strategic shifts, and decision‑making considerations that increasingly shape high‑exposure cases.

Lunch 
Sponsored by Envista Forensics

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Troy Smith

Credibility Still Matters: Takeaways from the Defense Verdict Against Morgan & Morgan in a $369M Case
Presented by: Zach Matthews, McMickle, Kurey & Branch, LLP and Spencer McInvaille, Envista Forensics

In an era of nuclear verdicts, reptile tactics, and increasingly aggressive plaintiff narratives, one principle remains unchanged: credibility matters. This presentation examines the lessons learned from a high-profile defense verdict obtained against Morgan & Morgan in a case involving a claimed exposure of more than $369 million. Through a detailed analysis of the case's facts, trial strategy, and outcome, attendees will explore why juries continue to reward credibility, authenticity, and evidentiary rigor over rhetoric and inflated damages demands.

Afternoon Networking Break

TIDA TALK: Beyond the Big Number: Reframing Excessive Damages for the Jury
Presented by: Jim Dill, The Dill Firm, APLC

In this session, we will discuss beating the theme of “generational wealth” being employed by plaintiffs’ attorneys around the country.  Attendees will go home with ways to counter the argument that, jurors should view damages not merely as compensation for the plaintiff, but as compensation for the loss of a family's ability to build, preserve, or transfer wealth across generations..

TIDA TALK: Don’t Take the Bait: Beating Plaintiff Anchors Before They Hook the Jury
Presented by: Brian Cano, Fee, Smith & Sharp, LLP

Brian's discussion will explore how plaintiff attorneys use anchoring techniques to influence jury damage awards, and how defense counsel can effectively counter them. Attendees will learn the psychology behind anchoring, why large damage requests are so persuasive, and how jurors process numbers at trial. The program provides practical strategies for dismantling inflated demands, presenting credible alternative valuations, and reinforcing evidence-based decision-making. Through voir dire, expert testimony, and closing argument techniques, participants will gain tools to replace plaintiff anchors with defensible, reasonable outcomes. This session is designed for trial lawyers seeking to control the damages narrative and reduce exposure in high-stakes personal injury cases.

Lessons from a Legend
Presented by: Leslie Leazer, Swift Transportation / Mohave Transportation Insurance Company

Leslie will present several principles that have shaped her career in transportation claims leadership. She will explore how mastery is driven by curiosity rather than tenure, why documentation is storytelling supported by evidence, and how continuous learning must be treated as a mindset rather than a task. Leslie will also highlight the importance of identifying what may be missing in an investigation, setting and managing expectations within an organization, and maintaining technical excellence to reduce leakage. The session will offer practical perspective drawn from decades of experience in the trucking and transportation insurance industry.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2026

Annual Seminar Registration Desk Open

Breakfast
Sponsored by YA Group

Exhibit Hall Open

Beyond the Hype: Building AI Agents That Move the Needle In Trucking Defense
Presented by: Lars Daniel, Rimkus

Lars will explore a range of ways AI can be applied to the real work attorneys and claims professionals do every day, from sharpening trial and deposition preparation, to building training and practice tools, to streamlining the tasks that eat up time and budget. Through live demonstrations, he'll show how useful tools can come together quickly, and break down the techniques so attendees understand how to put their own ideas into action. Attendees will leave with a clearer sense of what AI can do for their work, ideas they can adapt to their own practice, and a foundation for using these tools safely and effectively.

TIDA TALK: A New Landscape: Florida Tort Reform and Its Impact on Defense Trucking Litigation
Presented by: Sorena Fallin, Ragsdale Liggett PLLC LLC

This presentation provides an overview of Florida’s sweeping tort reform legislation, HB 837, signed into law on March 24, 2023, and its significant impact on civil litigation—particularly trucking and transportation cases. The presentation discusses the major statutory changes, including the shift from pure comparative negligence to modified comparative negligence, the reduction of the negligence statute of limitations from four years to two years, reforms to bad faith claims, and limitations on recoverable medical damages and Letters of Protection evidence. It also addresses increased transparency requirements regarding attorney-provider relationships and how these reforms affect case evaluation, settlement strategy, discovery, and trial preparation. Particular emphasis is placed on how HB 837 strengthens defense strategies in trucking litigation by limiting exposure, reducing inflated damages claims, and creating new opportunities to challenge causation, liability, and damages.

TIDA TALK: Managing Risk Through Full and Appropriate Insurance Disclosures
Presented by: Julie Brennan, Pion, Nerone, Girman & Smith, P.C.

The industry has been programmed to believe that motor carriers should shield excess and insurance towers from disclosure because it will drive up settlement expectations and settlement values.  This TIDA Talk will introduce the risks of nondisclosure with considerations of statutory or regulatory disclosure requirements, procedural disclosure requirements, and the potential sanctions and ramifications of nondisclosure.  By contrast, this TIDA Talk will question whether early and appropriate disclosures actually have any impact on the ultimate settlement value of claims.   Ultimately, maybe the best practice is to make a full and appropriate early disclosure of the liability insurance limits. 

TIDA TALK: Spoliation Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Presented by: Clarice Spicker, Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC

This presentation explores spoliation, which occurs when a party destroys, alters, or fails to preserve critical evidence relevant to a lawsuit. We will examine the legal triggers that establish a party's duty to preserve data, particularly Electronically Stored Information like emails, text messages, and telemetrics data. This topic goes into how judges handle evidence destruction, ranging from monetary fines to severe adverse inference jury instructions. Finally, the session will deliver actionable strategies for implementing effective legal holds to mitigate risks and protect organizational integrity.

Morning Networking Break

TIDA TALK: Intelligence Tradecraft: Principles for Transportation Investigations
Presented by: Jack Matero and Garrett McGinn, DigiStream Investigations

This session examines how the four disciplines of private intelligence, Open Source Intelligence, Geospatial Intelligence, Signals Intelligence, and Human Intelligence, can help uncover hidden witnesses, photos and videos related to transport accidents. The session also covers investigative capabilities such as geosocial analysis, device forensics, and video enhancement and explains how these tools can help strengthen your organization’s defense against high value litigation and threats.

TIDA TALK: FMCSA: Reinforcing Existing Rules and Introducing New Standards
Presented by: Kristen O'Neal, Spencer Fane LLP

This presentation examines how the FMCSA is increasing enforcement of long-standing regulations while implementing new standards aimed at improving safety, accountability, and compliance across the trucking industry. We will review key regulatory changes, enforcement priorities, and what carriers and drivers need to know moving forward.

TIDA TALK: Top Industry Issues (Including Lawsuit Abuse Reform and Insurance Costs) and Forensic Analysis of Trucking Litigation
Presented by: Ted Perryman, Roberts Perryman, P.C.

Based upon ATRI research this TIDA Talk (including a Ted Talk) will focus on a survey of the top issues facing the trucking industry and recent research by ATRI concerning trucking lawsuits.