US supreme court says man who lost leg can sue logistics firm over truck crash
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously allowed Shawn Montgomery to sue CH Robinson, a major logistics company, after he lost part of his leg in a 2017 semi tractor-trailer crash caused by a speeding truck driver.
- Montgomery claims CH Robinson should be liable for hiring a carrier with a poor safety record, despite “serious red flags,” including previous careless driving citations and multiple crashes involving the carrier.
- More than two dozen states supported Montgomery’s case, arguing it would enhance safety in the trucking industry, which transports billions of tons of goods annually.
- Opponents, including the Trump administration and companies like Amazon, contended that logistics companies should not face liability under varying state laws due to federal regulation of carriers.
- The Supreme Court recognized an exception to federal preemption in safety matters, overturning lower court decisions that had dismissed Montgomery’s lawsuit against CH Robinson.