C.H. Robinson to appeal $604-million trucking accident verdict

C.H. Robinson says it will appeal a US$604-million jury verdict that found the logistics provider liable in a fatal 2021 trucking accident, arguing it should not be held responsible for the crash because it selected an independent carrier that met federal safety standards.

The third-party logistics provider said the verdict in Lipe v. Lupus Superior, LLC, et al. could create uncertainty across the transportation industry by expanding liability for freight brokers and changing how carrier safety standards are interpreted.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to everyone affected by this tragic accident. Every loss of life on our nation’s highways is one too many,” the company said in a statement.

“We strongly disagree with the verdict in Lipe v. Lupus Superior, LLC, et al. and will immediately appeal. C.H. Robinson should not be held liable and did not act negligently. The carrier had safely delivered nearly 270 loads for our customers and held a Satisfactory FMCSA rating when we selected it. That rating remained Satisfactory following a federal review of this accident. The carrier is an independent motor carrier, and the driver worked for them. C.H. Robinson does not employ drivers.”

Dorothy Capers, chief legal officer at C.H. Robinson, said the company’s safety practices go beyond federal requirements and include multiple layers of safety and risk criteria.

“Safety is core to how we operate and always has been,” she said. “We go beyond federal requirements and apply multiple layers of safety and risk criteria that we continuously re-evaluate and strengthen. The shipments we arrange overwhelmingly move without incident, with one serious accident claim filed for every 500 million miles driven on our customers’ loads.”

The company said the case began after a 2021 collision in which a truck struck stopped traffic, killing three people and the truck driver. C.H. Robinson said the carrier involved, Lupus Superior, held a Satisfactory safety rating from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) before and after the accident.

The company said the case follows a U.S. Supreme Court decision that established freight brokers could be held liable in certain circumstances if they failed to exercise reasonable care when selecting a carrier. C.H. Robinson said the ruling did not establish a clear national standard for determining what constitutes a safe carrier.

C.H. Robinson said the verdict could affect trucking companies, freight brokers, shippers and supply chains by creating uncertainty around carrier selection requirements.

“The extreme nature of this verdict means it is even more imperative that Congress and the Federal Government act with urgency to establish clear and proper accountabilities across the transportation industry that enhance highway safety and support the uninterrupted flow of goods across the United States.”

The company said it will continue to advocate for a national carrier-selection safety standard and will maintain its existing safety and risk-management practices while the appeal process moves forward.