The Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday that Shawn Montgomery can proceed with his lawsuit against C.H. Robinson, the nation's largest freight broker, after he lost part of his leg when a speeding semi tractor-trailer struck his parked vehicle on an Illinois highway in 2017. The decision marks a significant shift in corporate accountability within the trucking industry, potentially exposing logistics companies to greater liability when they contract with unsafe carriers.
Montgomery's lawsuit centers on what he describes as "serious red flags" that C.H. Robinson allegedly ignored when hiring the carrier. According to his legal team, the trucker had been cited for careless driving in another crash months earlier, and the carrier he worked for had been involved with at least three crashes in a span of about five months. Montgomery argues that C.H. Robinson should share liability because it hired the carrier despite those documented safety problems.
Industry Pushback and Corporate Concerns
The decision drew immediate criticism from industry groups and corporate interests. The Trump administration and companies such as Amazon had argued that allowing the suit to proceed would expose logistics companies to liability under a "patchwork" of state laws. The Transportation Intermediaries Association called the ruling "deeply disappointing." Its president and CEO, Chris Burroughs, compared the situation to "asking travel agents to evaluate the safety of a given airline despite the fact that the airline has been licensed to fly by the federal government."
C.H. Robinson had argued that the lawsuit, filed under state law, should be dismissed because federal law regulating carriers trumps state law. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a concurrence joined by Justice Samuel Alito that the decision could increase insurance costs for freight brokers that eventually "cascade through the economy" and result in higher prices for consumers.
Safety Advocates and States Rally Behind Victim
Montgomery's appeal was backed by more than two dozen states, which argued that a ruling in his favor would help bolster safety in an industry that moves billions of tons of goods across billions of miles every year. In an opinion by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court found Montgomery's claims can move forward because they fall under an exception for safety regulations, overturning a lower-court ruling in the company's favor.
Justice Kavanaugh acknowledged the tension at the heart of the case, writing that while the decision could increase costs, "truck safety is a matter of life and death." Brian Watt, who runs a freight logistics company in Florida, said the ruling could have far-reaching effects if brokers can be held liable for the actions of the trucking companies they hire. He noted that brokers will now have to focus more on the safety records of the truckers they contract with to haul all kinds of goods, including hazardous materials, instead of just looking for the cheapest and fastest option.
Regulatory Gaps in Highway Safety
Watt highlighted significant gaps in federal oversight, stating in a post on LinkedIn that "more than 28,000 federally licensed brokers currently operate in the United States with virtually no meaningful federal safety oversight regarding how they select carriers." He pointed out that there are tougher standards for brokers that arrange shipments out of ports and on railroads, but that highway shipments face fewer restrictions.
The Transportation Department has been cracking down on the trucking industry over the past year by trying to force unqualified drivers, trucking companies and schools out of the industry. Dorothy Capers, C.H. Robinson's chief legal officer, said the company "will keep working with policymakers, advocates, carriers, our customers, and others across the industry to strengthen the national safety system and advance practices that reduce accidents on America's roads."
Why This Matters:
This ruling addresses a critical gap in corporate accountability within an industry where safety violations can result in catastrophic injuries and deaths. By allowing injured parties to hold freight brokers liable for negligent hiring practices, the Court has reinforced that profit-driven decisions to contract with unsafe carriers carry legal consequences. The decision empowers states to protect their residents through safety-focused regulations, rather than leaving oversight solely to a federal system that, according to industry insiders, provides minimal meaningful oversight of how brokers select carriers. For the thousands of people injured or killed in trucking accidents each year, this ruling opens a pathway to hold not just individual drivers accountable, but the logistics companies that profit from placing dangerous operators on public roads. While industry groups warn of increased costs, the Court's recognition that "truck safety is a matter of life and death" reflects the fundamental principle that public safety cannot be subordinated to corporate convenience or the pursuit of the cheapest shipping option.