Quick Answer
Bob Byrne of MartinWren, P.C. has been named to the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA), the national organization behind the only ABA-accredited board certification in Truck Accident Law. The Board of Regents is the small group of leading truck crash attorneys nationwide who help lead ATAA. As of September 2026, ATAA’s public Regents roster lists roughly 60 attorneys out of more than 1,800 members.
For a legal consultation with a personal injury lawyer, call (434) 817-3100
What Is the ATAA Board of Regents?
The Board of Regents is the leadership body of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. It is made up of a small group of leading ATAA attorneys who guide the organization’s work in education, certification, and highway safety. ATAA was founded in 2016 and now reports more than 1,800 members. As of September 2026, its public Board of Regents directory listed roughly 60 attorneys, fewer than 4% of the membership.
The Regents fill leadership roles inside ATAA, such as chairing the education committee. The Board holds its own members-only retreat each year ahead of the Academy’s Annual Symposium.
Source: ATAA Board of Regents directory and ATAA “About”.
What Is the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys?
ATAA is a national membership organization built for one thing: helping plaintiff lawyers and paralegals handle truck crash cases well.
A few facts worth knowing:
- It’s plaintiff-side only. ATAA membership is open to plaintiff attorneys and paralegals. Lawyers who defend trucking companies cannot join.
- It created the board certification. On August 7, 2018, the American Bar Association approved board certification in Truck Accident Law. It is the first and only ABA-accredited board certification in this field in the country. ATAA developed it in partnership with the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA).
- It works on truck safety, not just cases. ATAA partners with the Institute for Safer Trucking on highway safety initiatives.
- Credentials can’t be bought. ATAA states plainly that its designations cannot be purchased and that no attorney gets favored treatment.
Source: ATAA “About” and ATAA “Certification”.
The Virginia Angle
Virginia sits on two of the busiest freight corridors in the eastern United States: I-81 and I-95. I-81 alone carries an enormous share of through-trucking between the Northeast and the South.
Yet, as of September 2026, no other attorney with a Virginia address appeared on ATAA’s public Board of Regents roster.
MartinWren, P.C. handles these cases from offices in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, with both sitting on or near that corridor.
What to Do Next If You’ve Been in a Truck Crash
Evidence in truck cases disappears fast. Some of it is legally allowed to be destroyed in a matter of months.
Do this now:
- Get medical care and keep going. Gaps in treatment get used against you.
- Don’t give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer.
- Don’t post about the crash on social media. Not even “thanks for the prayers.”
- Photograph everything you still can — vehicles, scene, injuries, the truck’s markings and USDOT number.
- Write down what you remember today. Memory fades in days, not years.
- Call a truck accident attorney immediately so a spoliation letter can go out before ECM data, driver logs, and dashcam video are overwritten.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys?
ATAA is a national membership organization for plaintiff attorneys and paralegals who handle truck crash cases. It was founded in 2016 and reports more than 1,800 members. It created the ABA-accredited board certification in Truck Accident Law in partnership with the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
What does the ATAA Board of Regents do?
The Board of Regents is ATAA’s leadership body. Regents help guide the organization’s education, certification, and highway safety work, and fill leadership roles such as committee chairs. As of September 2026, ATAA’s public roster listed roughly 60 Regents.
How many attorneys are board certified in Truck Accident Law?
Only a small fraction of trucking lawyers nationwide hold it. Bob Byrne is the only attorney in Virginia who is board certified in Truck Accident Law.
Is board certification in Truck Accident Law real, or is it a marketing award?
It’s real. The American Bar Association approved it on August 7, 2018, and it’s the only ABA-accredited board certification in this field. It’s administered by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and requires a comprehensive written exam. ATAA states that the designation cannot be purchased.
Does hiring a board certified truck accident lawyer cost more?
No. MartinWren, P.C. handles truck accident cases on a contingency fee. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Virginia?
Virginia’s statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is two years from the date of injury, and wrongful death claims have their own deadline. Some claims are shorter. But the evidence deadline is far sooner than the legal one, as waiting costs cases.
What is polytrauma in a truck crash case?
Polytrauma means multiple serious injuries occurring at once — for example, a brain injury plus orthopedic fractures plus internal injuries. It’s common in truck crashes because of the forces involved, and it’s routinely undervalued by insurers.
Talk to Virginia’s First Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney
If a tractor-trailer, dump truck, box truck, or delivery van hurt you or killed someone you love, the trucking company’s team is already working. Yours should be too.
Free case review. No fee unless we win.
Bob Byrne is a plaintiff’s trial attorney at MartinWren, P.C., Virginia’s first attorney to become board certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and a member of the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys.
Call (434) 817-3100 or complete a Case Evaluation form