Supreme Court rules trucking broker can be held responsible for using dangerous haulers

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Politics
Supreme Court rules trucking broker can be held responsible for using dangerous haulers

By John Kelly, Michael Kaplan, Jim Axelrod
May 14, 2026 / 4:26 PM EDT / CBS News

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that a man maimed in a tractor-trailer crash could sue the broker who arranged the load, a major win for highway safety advocates who have sounded alarms about unsafe trucking companies and the high number of deaths and injuries in truck crashes.

A CBS News investigation last month revealed the widespread scope — and deadly consequences — of the explosion in demand for overland shipping, in part because more people shop online, and the strain that demand has placed on America's trucking fleet.

The high court rejected arguments from the trucking industry that it would be unfair and burdensome to hold big logistics companies responsible for screening the safety backgrounds of the haulers they work with. ... The court's unanimous decision clears the way for the continuation of a lawsuit by Shawn Montgomery, who lost part of his leg when a speeding truck driver slammed into his parked vehicle in Illinois in 2017. Montgomery sued C.H. Robinson, the country's largest freight broker and the one that contracted the load to a driver and trucking firm. The lawsuit claimed C.H. Robinson should have been aware of the firm's questionable safety record.

The broker — along with the Trump administration and other large trucking interests — argued that allowing such lawsuits to go forward would expose them to liability under a convoluted mix of state laws. They also argued they should not be held responsible for safety screening that they say is the role of the federal government, which licenses haulers.

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[MichMan]

1. Wow

CBS News' exclusive analysis of millions of Department of Transportation records found the government approved at least 10,000 of these reconstituted "chameleon carriers" just since 2021. The operators often use the same officers, facilities, or equipment as defunct companies with serious safety concerns on their records.