The U.S. Supreme Court is seen, Thursday, April 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a man to sue a major logistics company after he lost part of his leg in a semi tractor-trailer crash, a decision that could have ripple effects across the trucking industry.
The high court ruled unanimously in favor of Shawn Montgomery, whose parked vehicle was hit by a speeding truck driver on an Illinois highway in 2017. He says C.H. Robinson, the country’s largest freight broker, should be liable for their role in putting the driver on the road despite “serious red flags.”
The company disputes that, and the high court’s decision doesn’t guarantee an eventual win.
Montgomery’s appeal was backed by more than two dozen U.S states who said the case would help bolster safety in the industry that moves billions of tons of goods across billions of miles every year. On the other side was the Trump administration and companies like Amazon, who argued against exposing logistics companies to liability under a “patchwork” of state laws.
