SCOTUS Rules Truckers Can Be Held Liable for Accidents — But Dalilah’s Law is the Real Fix

In mid-May the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport, ruling that trucking brokers can be sued by individuals injured in a crash involving a trucking company they’ve hired.

This is an important decision, as it adds another layer of accountability for trucking brokers and disincentivizes them from hiring trucking companies which engage in unsafe practices.

Our hope is that this ruling makes it less likely that trucking brokers will conduct business with companies that don’t ensure their drivers are fluent in English, a significant factor in a number of trucking accidents.

This is a positive development, but the real solution is to pass, H.R. 5688, “Dalilah’s Law”, a federal bill which would prohibit non-citizens from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). This bill also includes a seminal provision from H.R. 6233, “Conor’s Law,” requiring all CDL holders to demonstrate English proficiency.

As we’ve previously stated, a high-level command over English should be non-negotiable for all drivers on our roads. Wins in the courtroom are critical, but our leaders in Congress must act and pass Dalilah’s Law–the safety of our roads depends on it.