ABB INC. v. CSX Transportation, Inc.

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• explaining that, prior to 1995, carriers were obliged to file their tariffs publicly, and thus shippers were generally charged with notice of the terms but that now “tariff” is “merely a contractual term”
• stating that “we are bound by the express language of the Car-mack Amendment, which puts the burden on the carrier to demonstrate that the parties had a written agreement to limit the carrier’s liability, irrespective whether the shipper drafted the bill of lading”
• “The text of the Carmack Amendment imposes full liability on carriers, without regard to which party prepared the bill of lading.”
• “The Carmack Amendment’s exception allowing for limited liability is ‘a very narrow exception to the general rule’ imposing full liability on the carrier.”
• “[W]e decline to conclude that a shipper should be held to notice of a privately held price list based only on generic and ambiguous language referencing a “tariff’ or “classification.””
• “Without a rule requiring at least some specificity in a written agreement, the shipper would not have a reasonable opportunity to choose between two or more levels of liability, but instead would be automatically and unwittingly subject to the carrier’s unilateral choice of a rate authority.”

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).

Cited by

8 cases in this archive cite this case.

• Exel, Inc. v. Southern Refrigerated Transport, Inc.
  Sixth Circuit· 2015-11-05· cited 42×
• Chartis Seguros Mexico, S.A. de C.V. v. HLI Rail & Rigging, LLC
  S.D. New York· 2014-03-13· cited 24×
• Exel, Inc. v. S. Refrigerated Transp., Inc.
  Sixth Circuit· 2018-09-25· cited 4×
• Royal Consumer Products, LLC v. Saia Motor Freight Line, Inc.
  Court of Appeals of Kentucky· 2016-02-26· cited 3×
• Exel, Inc. v. Southern Refrigerated Transport, Inc.
  S.D. Ohio· 2017-05-08· cited 3×
• Bekins Van Lines, Inc. and Willis Permian Movers, Inc. v. Sherwin Kahn
  Tex. App. Ct., 3rd Dist. (Austin)· 2025-05-22
• Solo Transport v. Stealth Mode Partners LLC Dba Falcon Truck Bodies LLC
  Tex. App. Ct., 4th Dist. (San Antonio)· 2026-05-13
• Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's v. CSX Transportation, Inc.
  Seventh Circuit· 2026-06-25

Cites

24 cases in this archive are cited by this case; the 20 most cited are listed.

• Norfolk Southern Railway Co. v. James N. Kirby, Pty Ltd.
  Supreme Court· 2004-11-09· cited 539×
• Maislin Industries, U. S., Inc. v. Primary Steel, Inc.
  Supreme Court· 1990-06-21· cited 508×
• New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad v. Nothnagle
  Supreme Court· 1953-06-08· cited 209×
• Edward and Nancy Hughes v. United Van Lines, Inc., and 291 Sisser Brothers, Inc.
  Seventh Circuit· 1987-09-11· cited 173×
• Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. v. Regal-Beloit Corp.
  Supreme Court· 2010-06-21· cited 120×
• Hughes Aircraft Company National Union Fire Insurance Company v. North American Van Lines, Inc., and Does 1-100, Inclusive
  Ninth Circuit· 1992-07-14· cited 116×
• OneBeacon Insurance v. Haas Industries, Inc.
  Ninth Circuit· 2011-03-09· cited 53×
• Cti/dc, Incorporated v. Selective Insurance Company of America
  Fourth Circuit· 2004-12-09· cited 50×
• Chandler v. Aero Mayflower Transit Co.
  Fourth Circuit· 1967-02-21· cited 47×
• Oak Hall Cap & Gown Co. v. Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.
  Fourth Circuit· 1990-03-26· cited 46×
• Sassy Doll Creations, Inc. v. Watkins Motor Lines, Inc.
  Eleventh Circuit· 2003-05-23· cited 41×
• Mechanical Technology Incorporated, Cross-Appellant v. Ryder Truck Lines, Inc., Cross-Appellee
  Second Circuit· 1985-11-14· cited 41×
• Tempel Steel Corporation v. Landstar Inway, Inc.
  Seventh Circuit· 2000-05-02· cited 35×
• Werner Enterprises, Inc. v. Westwind Maritime International, Inc.
  Eleventh Circuit· 2009-01-12· cited 31×
• Gordon H. Mooney, Ltd. v. Farrell Lines, Inc.
  Second Circuit· 1980-02-22· cited 31×
• Siren, Inc. v. Estes Express Lines
  Eleventh Circuit· 2001-04-30· cited 30×
• Emerson Electric Supply Company v. Estes Express Lines Corporation
  Third Circuit· 2006-06-16· cited 29×
• 5K Logistics, Inc. v. Daily Express, Inc.
  Fourth Circuit· 2011-10-21· cited 27×
• Unnamed case
  Ninth Circuit· 1996-12-16· cited 22×
• Fed. Carr. Cas. P 84,060 Toledo Ticket Company v. Roadway Express, Inc.
  Sixth Circuit· 1998-01-08· cited 21×

Other cases named ABB INC. v. CSX Transportation, Inc.

1 other CourtListener record shares this case name.

• ABB, Inc. v. CSX Transportation, Inc.
  E.D. North Carolina· 2012-03-22