Transportation

The Transportation Team handles a variety of transportation litigation matters, focusing primarily on railroad and trucking law. Our firm has a long history of defending clients in these industries in a range of litigated matters.

Railroad Law

The firm has represented national railroads for more than four decades, and has lawyers focusing exclusively on the defense of railroads, including Team Leader Ron Wray. These lawyers have extensive experience in handling railroad law and litigation matters, including crossing accidents, actions involving injuries to employees under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, employment matters, right-of-way and real estate disputes, contract disputes, occupational claims, and toxic tort claims. The team frequently assists its railroad clients in protecting property boundaries and preventing encroachments.

For 2010, GWB continued to be ranked as the #1 law firm in Greenville for Railroad Law by Best Lawyers in America. Two GWB attorneys were listed in Best Lawyers in America for Railroad Law: Daniel B. White and Ronald K. Wray II.  Both attorneys have also been recognized as South Carolina Super Lawyers. 
 

Trucking Law

Currently led by Chris Kelly, GWB's Trucking Litigation Team has more than 100 years of combined experience in the handling of commercial transportation matters.  Members of the team are actively involved in the Trucking Industry Defense Association ("TIDA"), Transportation Lawyers Association ("TLA"), Commercial Transportation Committee of the Defense Research Institute, Conference of Freight Counsel ("CFC"), Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel ("FDCC"), International Association of Defense Counsel ("IADC") and the South Carolina Trucking Association ("SCTA").  Members of the Trucking Litigation Team are admitted to practice in both South Carolina and North Carolina.
 
In the last five years the team has handled and resolved more than 110 trucking cases.  Significant trucking or commercial ground transportation issues, in both the casualty and coverage areas, addressed by the firm during the past five years include the following:

  • Emergency response and accident investigation;
  • Catastrophic injuries, brain injuries and toxic inhalation injuries;
  • Hazardous materials transportation and releases;
  • Mass tort/class actions;
  • Spoliation and electronic discovery issues;
  • Negligent supervision, training and hiring claims;
  • Hours of service violations, log falsification and fatigue claims;
  • Positive post accident drug tests;
  • Negligent load securement,
  • Inadequate lighting and reflectorization;
  • Mechanical and brake failures;
  • Leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury;
  • Preemption issues;
  • Venue issues;
  • Business interruption and evaluation;
  • Catastrophic property damage claims;
  • Breach of transportation agreement; 
  • Cargo claims;
  • Broker and shipper liability issues;
  • MCS-90 endorsement issues;
  • Trailer Interchange issues;
  • Inter-Modal Interchange issues; and
  • Additional insured and indemnification issues.

GWB utilizes a team approach to provide the highest level of quality service to its clients, at the most reasonable expense.  The Trucking Litigation Team, which is a separate and distinct team within the firm's Commercial Transportation Group, has developed a reservoir of knowledge in this particular field of litigation and we are very familiar with the issues unique to the commercial transportation field.  The team has regular team meetings and events which focus on developing increased specialized knowledge in the handling of trucking and commercial transportation cases.  The firm's technology allows for the efficient handling of any matter as it allows for the maintenance of a large volume of data obtained in the discovery process by way of a Concordance database with an IPRO viewing system.  The firm also maintains a bank of legal memoranda, briefs, seminar materials, articles and expert depositions in the trucking litigation field which we utilize freely to allow us to handle trucking matters at the most reasonable expense.

GWB not only brings an experienced Trucking Litigation Team that has represented major motor carriers in South Carolina, Western North Carolina and Northern Georgia for years, but the experience and knowledge of former South Carolina Bar and South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association presidents and officers.  GWB and its Trucking Litigation Team members have an outstanding reputation amongst the judiciary and the South Carolina bar.

Railroad Team Partners:

Stephanie G. Flynn
Christopher M. Kelly
Gregory P. Sloan
Daniel B. White
Ronald K. Wray, II

 Trucking Team Partners:

Christopher M. Kelly
C. Stuart Mauney
T. David Rheney
Phillip E. Reeves
Gregory P. Sloan

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