The battle over broker liability heats up. After years the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case on broker liability under the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (F4A). The most recent update on the case is the Trump administration has filed an amicus brief and is on the docket for oral arguments on March 3. Their position is on the side of the brokers, they are supporting C.H. Robinson.
An Amicus brief is documents filed by a group or an individual that are not part of the original lawsuit but have an interest in the case. They can provide additional data, expertise, context, and talk about the societal impact of the case.
Also weighing in on the fight is the Transportation Intermediaries Association, they have filed an amicus brief, but were not awarded oral argument time. The main point of the TIA’s argument was, "If a broker were to be held liable for the hiring of an incompetent or reckless driver, “even if a broker wanted to second-guess a motor carrier’s decision to hire a particular driver, a broker does not have the tools to do so."
Oral arguments start March 4. There is no estimated date on when the verdict will be issued.
