Jayne Bart-Plange Discusses a Landmark Freight Industry Supreme Court Ruling in Bloomberg

Jayne Bart-Plange, Partner in the Firm's Litigation practice group, shared insights on a recent landmark Supreme Court decision that may expose freight brokers to potentially enormous lawsuits, hold back smaller carriers, and drive up the cost of transporting nearly everything that ships by truck.

A United States Supreme Court ruling in May changed the stakes for freight brokers, opening them to potential lawsuits if a driver for a contracted carrier gets into an accident. The decision brings uncertainty about when a broker ultimately might be held responsible. Last month, a jury in Texas offered a glimpse at just how costly the new landscape could become ($604 million in damages against one of the country’s largest freight brokers and two other defendants), and while the legal process will likely drag on for more than a year, the size of the potential penalty is already reshaping the brokerage industry.

Click here to read Jayne's commentary on Bloomberg.com.