Liability of a Carrier for Loss and Damage to Interstate Shipments

The law governing the liability of a carrier for loss or damage to interstate shipments is set out in the Carmack Amendment. Prior to the enactment of this federal legislation, a body of law pertaining to this subject developed in the common law. The present law evolved from the earliest concepts of bailment relationship. The early statutes preserved many aspects of the common law.

This article will refer to common law principles but will not focus on law as it was prior to the Carmack Amendment.