WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that a man who lost part of his leg when a speeding tractor-trailer struck his parked truck on an Illinois highway can proceed with his lawsuit against C.H. Robinson, the country’s largest freight broker — a decision with potentially significant implications for the trucking and logistics industry.
The ruling overturned a decision by a Chicago-based federal appeals court that had dismissed the case in C.H. Robinson’s favor. Writing for the court, Justice Amy Coney Barrett found that the plaintiff’s state law claims fall under a safety regulation exception and can move forward.
The Crash
On the night of December 7, 2017, Shawn Montgomery was parked inside his 2015 Mack truck on the shoulder of westbound Interstate 70 in Cumberland County, Illinois. Driver Yosniel Varela-Mojena, operating a 1995 Freightliner tractor-trailer hauling a commercial shipment of plastic pots arranged by C.H. Robinson, veered off the roadway at a high rate of speed and rear-ended Montgomery’s stationary vehicle. The impact severely crushed both truck cabs, resulting in the amputation of Montgomery’s leg and leaving him with other permanent injuries.
The Legal Argument
Montgomery’s lawsuit argued that C.H. Robinson should share liability for hiring carrier Caribe Transport II LLC despite publicly available red flags. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data showed Caribe Transport had been involved in at least three major crashes in a five-month span before the collision. The driver, Varela-Mojena, had been cited for careless driving in a separate crash just months earlier. Montgomery argued C.H. Robinson failed to conduct basic safety vetting before selecting the carrier.
C.H. Robinson argued that freight brokers rely on the federal government to regulate carriers and that federal law preempts state law claims. The Supreme Court disagreed, finding that Montgomery’s claims fall under an exception for safety regulations.
What the Decision Means
The ruling does not guarantee Montgomery will ultimately prevail — it only allows the case to proceed. However, the decision could open the door to broader litigation against freight brokers across the country. More than two dozen states backed Montgomery’s appeal, arguing the case would bolster safety in an industry that moves billions of tons of goods across billions of miles annually.
The Trump administration and companies including Amazon had argued against the decision, warning it would expose logistics companies to liability under a patchwork of state laws. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Justice Samuel Alito in a concurrence, wrote that the ruling could increase litigation and insurance costs for freight brokers that would eventually cascade through the economy and result in higher consumer prices — but added that “truck safety is a matter of life and death.”
C.H. Robinson disputes the allegations and has not conceded liability.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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