In the wake of our recent courtroom win, when an Oregon jury awarded our client a $5.2 million verdict after finding a trucking broker negligent for wrongful hiring, the Transportation Intermediaries Association has launched a campaign to reduce broker liability in such cases.
Integral to the TIA’s push is its call for a law that would force the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to rate carriers as “Safe to Use” or “Unsafe to Use,” a ranking system that would then reduce brokers’ liability in hiring negligent carriers. Transport Topics reported in a recent issue that the TIA’s push also calls for language that would free brokers of liability in cases involving carriers that were deemed to be “Safe to Use” by the FMCSA.
The TIA’s campaign comes on the heels of the landmark ruling in Oregon, in which a jury ruled against broker Heyl Logistics and carrier Washington Transportation. Agreeing with our argument, the jury awarded the family of victim Daniel Clarey a $5.2 million verdict, claiming both Heyl and Washington were liable for the 2008 accident in which Clarey was killed.
TRUCK ACCIDENT FAST FACT: The United States Department of Transportation estimates that over 500,000 truck accidents occur every year.
