Category: PR Zen

The case arose from an April 2019 collision at a malfunctioning traffic signal near the Interstate 29 interchange in Lincoln County. Justin Hamer, driving a pickup, was struck by a commercial truck operated by Paul Duffy of Cornerstone Poured Foundations. With no independent witnesses and both drivers claiming right of way, the case went to trial, but not before pretrial rulings stripped it down to almost nothing.

The trial court excluded both of Hamer’s expert witnesses, blocked his attempt to raise federal trucking regulations, and refused to instruct the jury on those standards. One expert would have testified about Duffy’s fatigue from working 13-hour days on fragmented sleep. An accident reconstructionist had calculated Duffy had nearly five seconds to react to Hamer’s vehicle. Without that testimony or any federal regulatory framework, the jury found both drivers negligent but awarded Hamer nothing under South Dakota’s contributory negligence standard.

Hoy Law appealed, and the Supreme Court unanimously reversed on three grounds. First, it held that the FMCSRs, adopted into state law under SDCL 49-28A-3, establish the standard of care for commercial truck drivers, and that unexcused violations constitute negligence per se. The Court rejected the defense argument that these regulations don’t create a private cause of action. Second, the Court found the trial court abused its discretion in excluding both experts, noting their testimony provided specialized knowledge beyond what any layperson could bring. The Court also observed that defense counsel argued the very issues in closing that the excluded experts would have addressed. Third, the Court ruled the jury should have been instructed on 49 C.F.R. § 392.3, which prohibits operating a commercial vehicle while impaired by fatigue.

The implications reach beyond this case. The FMCSRs cover hours of service, hazardous condition driving, vehicle maintenance, and driver qualifications. Any of those can now support a negligence per se claim when a violation causes injury, shifting the trial question from whether a truck driver acted “reasonably” to whether the driver broke a specific safety rule. It also changes settlement dynamics, giving plaintiffs concrete regulatory violations to point to. Because employers are liable for employees’ negligent acts on the job, trucking companies in South Dakota face direct accountability when drivers violate federal safety rules.

Thanks to Hoy Law taking this case to the state’s highest court, the Hamers will get a new trial where their full case can finally reach a jury.

Press Release Distributed by PRLog

Source: Hoy Law

Follow the full story here: https://przen.com/pr/33605393

The Challenge: Uneven Refrigerant Flow

In microchannel evaporators, cooling efficiency depends on how evenly refrigerant is distributed across dozens of parallel microchannels. When the refrigerant enters the inlet header in a two-phase state (liquid and vapor), the heavier liquid naturally settles at the bottom while the lighter vapor rises to the top.

This separation causes uneven feeding of the microchannels: some channels receive mostly vapor, others too much liquid. The result is reduced heat transfer efficiency, unstable operation, and significant performance losses.

In practical terms:

• Evaporators without any internal distributor can lose 25–35% of performance due to severe maldistribution.
• Systems equipped with conventional lateral-spraying distributors typically reduce losses, but still experience 10–15% performance degradation.

The Solution: Downward-Spraying Distributor (DSD)

To address this issue, Kaltra developed a new Downward-Spraying Distributor (DSD) architecture.

Instead of injecting refrigerant sideways inside the header — as in traditional designs — the DSD injects refrigerant vertically downward through precisely calibrated openings. This seemingly simple change produces a powerful effect:

• The downward spray works with gravity rather than against it.
• Liquid refrigerant is actively directed toward the lower region of the header.
• High-velocity jets create turbulence and fine mixing.
• Liquid and vapor phases are blended more evenly before entering the microchannels.

By mechanically disrupting natural phase separation, the DSD ensures that each microchannel receives a more consistent liquid–vapor mixture.

Near-Ideal Performance Achieved

Testing confirmed that evaporators equipped with Kaltra’s DSD technology demonstrate performance losses as low as 1–3%, approaching ideal distribution conditions.

The system also maintains high distribution uniformity:

• At coil inclination angles up to 30°
• At inlet vapor qualities below 0.4
• Under realistic operating and installation conditions

Compared to conventional designs, the DSD concept represents a major improvement in evaporator stability, efficiency, and surface utilization.

Raising the Standard for Microchannel Technology

By solving one of the fundamental challenges of two-phase refrigerant flow inside horizontal headers, Kaltra’s new distributor technology sets a new benchmark for microchannel heat exchanger performance.

The development reinforces Kaltra’s commitment to advancing thermal management solutions through practical engineering innovation and measurable performance gains.

Press Release Distributed by PRLog

Source: Kaltra GmbH

Follow the full story here: https://przen.com/pr/33606675

With increased competition, rising ad costs, and tighter margins, contractors are recognizing that disconnected systems are slowing growth and researching what CRM is best for their company.

CRM platforms such as Pipedrive, Service Titan JobNimbus, JobTread, HubSpot, and other field service management tools are becoming central command centers for growing construction companies. When integrated properly with marketing systems, these platforms can:

• Automate review requests without violating Google’s policies
• Track closing ratios and sales performance by estimator
• Improve follow-up speed on inbound leads
• Provide real-time visibility into pipeline health
• Eliminate manual data entry between marketing and operations

Jeremy N., who owns a window treatment installation company in Kansas City, described the frustration many contractors feel when operating without integrated tracking:

“I need a better software that can track sales that can track closing ratios. You know, so that I can keep improving. Just kind of flying dark here right now.”

That sentiment is echoed across trades. Zach O., a commercial pavement contractor in Kansas City, pointed to outdated systems as a major barrier to operational clarity:

“The system that we’re working with is antiquated and so in any scenario, when we move into an updated system, we’re going to be able to track this all so much easier.”

That “flying dark” feeling is increasingly unacceptable for growth-focused firms. As labor, materials, and advertising costs rise, contractors can no longer afford to rely on gut instinct alone. Data visibility has become a competitive advantage.

Industry marketing and digital strategy firms report that construction businesses heading into 2026 are asking more advanced questions about attribution, review automation compliance, and CRM-connected lead tracking than ever before.

“When a contractor can see exactly where leads come from, how fast they’re followed up, what their close rate is, and how reviews are generated — growth becomes intentional instead of accidental,” said Danny Humphrey, VP at RSM Marketing. “Integration eliminates guesswork.”

As peak construction season approaches, CRM integration is quickly moving from a “nice to have” to a foundational requirement for firms aiming to scale sustainably. Read our comparison of popular construction CRM systems here.

About RSM Marketing

RSM Marketing is a construction-focused digital marketing agency based in Kansas City. Since 2010, the firm has partnered with residential and commercial contractors nationwide to build lead generation systems through web design, SEO, paid advertising, CRM integration, and reputation management.

Contact
RSM Marketing
(913) 735-3050

Press Release Distributed by PRLog

Source: RSM Marketing

Follow the full story here: https://przen.com/pr/33606721