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Supreme Court Unanimously Rules Freight Brokers Face State Liability for Carrier Negligence

The Supreme Court delivered a decisive 9-0 ruling Thursday that freight brokers can be sued in state court for damages arising from crashes involving carriers they hire. The decision settles years of conflicting circuit court rulings on the question. The case centered on whether brokers fall under the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act's safety exception, which permits state actions on motor vehicle safety issues despite federal preemption of other matters. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the court, determined that negligent-hiring claims against brokers qualify as claims "with respect to motor vehicles" under the statute's language. C.H. Robinson Worldwide (NASDAQ: CHRW), which booked the carrier involved in the underlying incident, returns to the lower courts as a defendant. The decision stems from a case filed by truck driver Shawn Montgomery, who suffered severe injuries requiring amputation after being struck by a vehicle.