newsworthy
Illinois court rules against C.H. Robinson in “vicarious liability” case
An appeals court panel in Illinois has upheld a lower court
ruling that held C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. liable for
damages arising from a fatal 2004 crash involving a now-defunct trucker that the brokerage and logistics giant had
hired to move a load of potatoes for a customer.
The March 30 ruling by a 3rd District Illinois Appellate
Court panel is the latest setback in C.H. Robinson’s efforts
to avoid culpability for the incident. It also sends a strong
and disturbing message to shippers and brokers that they
could be held accountable for accidents involving a trucker
they hire to move goods, even if they contend the trucker
and driver were not employees and were hired to simply
transport a shipment.
C.H. Robinson was sued following a collision in Illinois
that involved a Utah-based carrier named Toad L.
Dragonfly Express. Two people were killed in the accident,
and a third was seriously injured. The trucking company
had a “stellar” safety record based on public information
available at the time it was retained, and the driver, DeAn
Henry, had an active and valid commercial driver’s license
at the time, according to Mike Wilken, a C.H. Robinson
spokesman.
However, C.H. Robinson was named as a defendant
under the “vicarious liability” doctrine that makes an
employer responsible for an employee’s actions when they
occur within the scope of employment. In March 2009, a
circuit court in Will County, Ill., found C.H. Robinson
liable along with the driver and the trucking company. The
court awarded the plaintiffs nearly $24 million in damages.
C.H. Robinson was not accused of negligence or of per-
forming any unsafe actions.
accolades
Ford Motor Co. has recognized Penske Logistics with its
Gold World Excellence Award, which is presented to suppliers that demonstrate superior quality, delivery, and cost
performance. ... PepsiCo has presented Saddle Creek
Corp. with its first Third Party of the Year Award in recognition of the warehousing and distribution services provided at Saddle Creek’s Lakeland, Fla., campus. ... The
Kardex Remstar manufacturing facility in Lewistown, Pa.,
has been certified to ISO 9001 quality standards. …
NASSTRAC has announced the recipients of its Carrier of
the Year Awards for 2011. Recipients of the awards, which
were handed out in nine categories, are Werner
Enterprises (National Truckload), FedEx Services (Parcel),
Associated Global Systems (Expedited), ABF Freight
System (National LTL), FedEx Freight (Multi-Regional LTL),
A. Duie Pyle (Regional–Northeast LTL), AAA Cooper
(Regional–Southeast LTL), Dayton Freight Lines
(Regional–Midwest LTL), and Dependable Highway
Express (Regional–West LTL). ... For the seventh straight
year, Hyster Co. has received a Million-Hour Safety Award
as well as a Gold Safety Award from the North Carolina
Department of Labor. … American Airlines Cargo Division
(AA Cargo) has been recognized by the Express Delivery
and Logistics Association for improvements to its service,
communication, technology, and on-time performance. …
A. Duie Pyle, a Northeast regional transportation and
logistics service provider, has received the LTL Carrier of
the Year Award from Thomas & Betts Corp.
