The case involved Shawn Montgomery, who was catastrophically injured in a semi-truck crash when he was inside his tractor-trailer on the freeway shoulder in Illinois, and was hit by another tractor trailer who veered off course. Yosniel Varela-Mojena, the driver, was hauling plastic pots for a trucking company called Caribe Transport II. Montgomery’s leg had to be amputated, and he suffered from additional serious injuries.
The semi-truck was hired by freight broker C.H. Robinson, and the carrier had several known safety deficiencies with a “conditional safety rating”, meaning the company had already been flagged for safety issues including vehicle maintenance and inspection, following hours of service guidelines, and crash rates. This prompted Montgomery to sue the broker for knowingly hiring an unsafe carrier.
Brokers are a key part of the trucking industry, and when they cut corners and hire unsafe drivers, people can be severely injured on the roads we drive.
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The Montgomery v. Caribe Transport Decision
Brokers like C.H. Robinson claimed they could not be sued for a truck accident lawsuit because of a federal law that limits state regulation of the trucking industry. On May 14, 2026, the Supreme Court reversed the ruling unanimously.
Brokers used the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA) preemption clause as a federal shield to dismiss personal injury and truck accident lawsuits. The ruling in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport, brokers are now considered liable, so they must drastically tighten their carrier vetting processes for uncase motor carriers or be held responsible along with unsafe carriers and drivers.
Truck accident lawyer, Jay Murray, had this to say when commenting on the Supreme Court ruling, “This ruling is profound for all drivers on the road. Brokers can no longer hide behind FAAAA laws shielding them from responsibility for placing unsafe drivers and vehicles on the road. Furthermore, this allows catastrophically injured victims to pursue additional compensation for people who have been injured in 18-wheeler accidents.”
How This Ruling Impacts Your Financial Recovery After a Crash
For people seriously hurt in crashes involving interstate trucking loads, this allows an additional potential source for increasing their truck accident financial recovery, because it increases the list of potential defendants. Often, the motor carrier carries only the federally required $750,000 in primary auto liability insurance for general freight, over 10,000 pounds. For a catastrophic injury, a traumatic brain injury, a fatality, paraplegic, quadriplegic, tetraplegic or an amputation, those limits aren’t enough with injuries of that magnitude, especially when you consider medical bills, lost wages, and lost future earnings. The broker usually has substantially more available coverage, allowing attorneys to increase the truck accident financial recovery for their clients.
This ruling will be enforced across the United States. Regardless of where the crash occurred, the FAAAA preemption now applies. Lastly, it forces brokers to make safer hiring decisions, making the roads safer for all drivers.
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Contact an Experienced Trucking Litigation Attorney Today
Truck accident lawyer Jay Murray has represented thousands of individuals in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for over 30 years. During his extensive experience as a trucking litigation attorney, he has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements for accident victims, including a $12 million jury verdict in a car crash lawsuit and multiple six-figure settlements resulting from truck crashes, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful deaths and unsafe motor carriers.
Jay Murray has earned recognition among the top trial lawyers nationally and locally. Among his professional associations are membership with the National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Additionally, he is listed on SuperLawyers and holds an Excellent rating on AVVO.
If you have been involved in an 18-wheeler accident, you may have a case against the broker. Contact Jay Murray Personal Injury Attorneys today to arrange for a free consultation.
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