Truck stops named in sex trafficking lawsuit

[Maria]

An unnamed woman has filed a lawsuit against a website, as well as several Houston-area hotels and truck stops, alleging that the companies benefited from her being sexually exploited.

The plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe No. 1, filed the civil case against Backpage.com, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores, Pilot Travel Centers,

TravelCenters of America, and several other businesses on Jan. 23 in Harris County, Texas. The 82-page lawsuit alleges that the businesses benefited from the sexual exploitation of a human trafficking survivor (Doe) in violation of an anti-trafficking law passed in 2009, and other state laws.

full story

 

[mndriver]

Sounds like the same reason as holding a bar liable for a drunk driver.

 

[Duck]

This kind of case is why we need the same "innocent until proven guilty", "beyond reasonable doubt", and unanimous jury requirement in civil suits, not just criminal courts.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Blame the Pepsi vendor too. Some people who bought her drank it, I'm sure. Oh and don't forget the dude who fried the chicken.

This is just your typical deep pockets lawsuit from an ambulance chaser type lawyer.

 

[Hammer166]

According to the lawsuit, the truck stops participated in the facilitation of trafficking minors by failing to implement proper training and security measures to prevent human trafficking.

That's one heck of a stretch! Using this shyster's logic, any trucking company that used those fuel stops should also be liable.

He's just hoping for a settlement, as he has to show negligence.

Elements of a Negligence Claim

In order to win a negligence case, the plaintiff (the person injured) must prove the following four elements to show that the defendant (the person allegedly at fault) acted negligently:

1. Duty - The defendant owed a legal duty to the plaintiff under the circumstances;
2. Breach - The defendant breached that legal duty by acting or failing to act in a certain way;
3. Causation - It was the defendant's actions (or inaction) that actually caused the plaintiff's injury; and
4. Damages - The plaintiff was harmed or injured as a result of the defendant's actions.

 

[Injun]

That's one heck of a stretch! Using this shyster's logic, any trucking company that used those fuel stops should also be liable.

He's just hoping for a settlement, as he has to show negligence.

She might have a reasonable case.
1. The facilities had a duty to secure their premises from criminal activity. (Lighting and security)
2. Lighting was poor and there was no security personnel on site.
3. Had the facilities provided better lighting and security personnel, this person would not have been sold on their premises.
4. How is being trafficked for sexual exploitation not injurious?

Truck stops are notoriously unsecured against criminal behavior, as the continued thefts, assaults, drug dealing, prostitution and even murders attest to. If these truck stops want to continue providing a service to drivers in the form of available parking so that they, in turn, can profit off those drivers, they need to clean up their premises. It's that simple.

 

[Electric Chicken]

She might have a reasonable case.
1. The facilities had a duty to secure their premises from criminal activity. (Lighting and security)
2. Lighting was poor and there was no security personnel on site.
3. Had the facilities provided better lighting and security personnel, this person would not have been sold on their premises.
4. How is being trafficked for sexual exploitation not injurious?

Truck stops are notoriously unsecured against criminal behavior, as the continued thefts, assaults, drug dealing, prostitution and even murders attest to. If these truck stops want to continue providing a service to drivers in the form of available parking so that they, in turn, can profit off those drivers, they need to clean up their premises. It's that simple.

Oh so they're culpable when a murder occurs too? That's news to me...

Didn't realize they were responsible for regulating everyone's behavior.

 

[(((ME)))]

If this case get's won.....The court systems will be snowballed with nation wide cases.
It be interesting to see how this all turns out.

 

[Rigjockey]

She claims these hotels and trucks stops benefited from her being trafficked. How exactly did they benefit?
If anything these companies could claim they lost business because of her presence and sue her and her pimp. She could be on the hook for millions (sure pun intended, why not?)
I am willing to bet these million dollar companies have better lawyers than her lawyer (1)
But then again the world has gone full on stupid.

 

[mndriver]

A spoon made Rosie fat ya know.

 

[Injun]

Oh so they're culpable when a murder occurs too? That's news to me...

Didn't realize they were responsible for regulating everyone's behavior.

I didn't say I agreed with it. I simply pointed out their logic behind the lawsuit.

How exactly did they benefit?

First thing you hear on the radio at certain places is, "Wurza cummershull?" We all know which places these are. Drivers who seek "cummershull" company are more likely to frequent these certain places than places not known for the availability of prostitution. These particular establishments draw johns and most of their staff know it. The truck stops benefit by the money these skeezebag drivers spend in them.

 

[Rigjockey]

First thing you hear on the radio at certain places is, "Wurza cummershull?" We all know which places these are. Drivers who seek "cummershull" company are more likely to frequent these certain places than places not known for the availability of prostitution. These particular establishments draw johns and most of their staff know it. The truck stops benefit by the money these skeezebag drivers spend in them.

True! But what you never hear on the radio is I am avoiding that truck stop because of all the "cummershull" that bang on my door all damned night so I can't git no rest.
It works both ways and I am sure the truck stop would rather have the customers that don't participate in illegal activity and she/ her pimp may have chased those customers away.

 

[Injun]

True! But what you never hear on the radio is I am avoiding that truck stop because of all the "cummershull" that bang on my door all damned night so I can't git no rest.
It works both ways and I am sure the truck stop would rather have the customers that don't participate in illegal activity and she/ her pimp may have chased those customers away.

They can "fix" the problem with better lighting and security staff. They choose not to.

 

[mndriver]

Bars can serve less alcohol too.

Minneapolis and St Paul can clean up Hennepin avenue. Yet trucks never go there. Each city has their own red light district as well, I don't see cities and towns being sued.

Just shows how litigious our society has become.

 

[r3gulator3]

Well if the city of Huston is so concerned with illegal activities why don't they send officers to patrol there? I mean if it's so well know. Seriously, this is stupid.

In Iowa bar owners have been tried in DUI fatality cases. So sure the spoon made me fat can be an accessory case.

They should also add peterbilt and chrome shops to the suit, because slant nose company drivers ain't looking for that "cummurshull", c'mon.

 

[Duck]

How can the truck stops benefit from such activity when it in fact, drives away more customers than it attracts?

Most drivers would rather not be woken up, and only park in those places when there's nowhere else to go.

To suggest that any of the big chain truck stops intentionally allow that stuff to happen on their premises is ridiculous.

 

[Injun]

Well if the city of Huston is so concerned with illegal activities why don't they send officers to patrol there? I mean if it's so well know. Seriously, this is stupid.

In Iowa bar owners have been tried in DUI fatality cases. So sure the spoon made me fat can be an accessory case.

They should also add peterbilt and chrome shops to the suit, because slant nose company drivers ain't looking for that "cummurshull", c'mon.

Houston's job is to keep their residents safe. That's why they collect taxes and have a police department.

Bars: Apples and oranges. Nobody forces drunks to keep drinking in bars. Laws all across the country require bartenders to stop serving visibly intoxicated patrons. To be clear, I do not agree with bars being charged with DUI related crimes.

Victims of sex trafficking are forced, against their will, to participate in prostitution.

Company drivers in slope-nosed trucks are just as likely to utilize the services of prostitutes as those who own and drive bricks. So that's just ridiculous.

As I said, I don't agree with the lawsuit against the truck stops. I am just pointing out the basis for the suit and the perception we will likely see in the courtroom. Whether we like it or not, there are enough bad players in our industry that we all have a black eye from their behavior. Further, Hollywood has not done us any favors.

 

[r3gulator3]

Houston's job is to keep their residents safe. That's why they collect taxes and have a police department.

yes I understand that but if you have known crime in your area, and your the officer patrolling that beat, don't ya maybe wanna keep an eye on it...maybe catch some of the people doing illegal things?

So that's just ridiculous.

That was kind of the intent of the post, kind of tounge in cheek, if you will. Sleezebags will be sleezebags. Regardless of how they get there.

 

[Ontario Outlaw]

yes I understand that but if you have known crime in your area, and your the officer patrolling that beat, don't ya maybe wanna keep an eye on it...maybe catch some of the people doing illegal things?

I could be wrong, but I believe LEOs sometimes just monitor neighbourhoods. It's probably easier to watch the same hooker night after night than try to identify a new one. And, I'm sure they get tired of busting hookers month after month, that's not fixing the problem. They would need to bust the pimps or have a high enough presence to keep the johns away.

It's sad that it happens. I've never had the knock on the door, or parked anywhere where I've seen any activity associated with it. Closest I've come is at Iowa 80 was a guy bumming for money.

Where was I reading that a bunch of 1% bikers were truckers years ago....easy way to traffic drugs....

 

[dave350]

Full disclosure of my stupity. In my head I was pronouncing “CUMMERshull” and I thought there was some slang term I wasn’t aware of. So I put Cummershull into Google. Googled said “did you mean commercial?”

If this lawsuit is successful what will be the consequences? My goodness man. I can already see Fed and State regulators mashing their hands. Mandatory state training fees charged to business.

I hate to bring this up but since Jane Doe is bringing the lawsuit what is her history? What situation did she put herself into to be susceptible to traffickers? What was her childhood like? Her parents? All very fair questions if she asking for a million bucks.

I watched for it when I was driving and I’m sure everyone else tries to also, and training is good for truckstop and hotel personnel but people have their own problems and issues in their life that they are dealing with all the time so it’s hard to notice EVERYTHING all the time everywhere.

I pulled into the Petro in Knoxville one night, got fueled up and when I returned to the truck Sandy was pissed at all the chatter on the radio. (She was getting ready to grab the mic) Hookers advertising and truckers responding. I was shocked because I had never saw this at that location. We go in get showers and come back out and it’s Sin City on steroids. Hookers running everywhere. This was when fuel was 4.50 and I was loaded with a high dollar load. I was worried sick. We got some sleep, got up and drove home.

When I got home I emailed the truck stop and told them about it and what I spoke of above. That’s my truck, my fuel and my load I’m responsible for and I won’t be back. Manager called within minutes. He was apologetic and said they came from the T/A across the street. He was working on getting security in there. So I’ll back up the point that having that activity will drive just as many drivers away, probably more than it will attract.

There are some evil people in this world but perhaps go after them and not everyday citizens and ligitimate business. Town square hangings need to be brought back.