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Supreme Court Allows Lawsuits Against Freight Brokers for Negligent Hiring
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that victims of truck crashes can sue freight brokers for negligent hiring. The unanimous decision removes a prior legal shield for brokers who select carriers.
May 17, 3:52 PM·1m read1 source
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U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous 9-0 decision in Montgomery vs. Caribe Transport II on Thursday. The ruling permits victims of truck crashes to sue freight brokers for alleged negligent hiring. Freight brokers arrange shipments by matching shippers with trucking carriers.
The decision removes a legal shield that previously protected brokers from liability when carriers they selected operated unsafely.
Trucking industry veterans have stated that some brokers selected carriers based on cost rather than safety records. Shannon Everett of American Truckers United said the ruling recognizes that highway safety requires accountability from every participant.
Everett added that brokers had operated behind a shield of presumed immunity. The decision requires brokers to consider carriers' safety records and hiring practices.
Miller lost her husband Scott in a crash involving a Mexican truck driver who had been deported 16 times. The Pearson family lost Robert Blake Pearson in a crash involving an Indian truck driver. Both families stated they had not received adequate justice because carriers could disappear and brokers had been untouchable.
The ruling opens a legal avenue for these families and others in similar situations.
