Ameriswiss Technology, LLC v. Midway Line of Illinois, Inc.

888 F. Supp. 2d 197, 2012 DNH 173, 2012 WL 4483744
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Hampshire
DecidedSeptember 27, 2012
DocketCivil No. 11-cv-148-LM
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 888 F. Supp. 2d 197 (Ameriswiss Technology, LLC v. Midway Line of Illinois, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ameriswiss Technology, LLC v. Midway Line of Illinois, Inc., 888 F. Supp. 2d 197, 2012 DNH 173, 2012 WL 4483744 (D.N.H. 2012).

Opinion

[200]*200 ORDER

LANDYA McCAFFERTY, United States Magistrate Judge.

This case arises out of a single-vehicle accident that destroyed thirteen pieces of machinery owned by Ameriswiss Technology, LLC (“Ameriswiss”). When they were destroyed, Ameriswiss’s machines were being trucked to New Hampshire by Midway Line of Illinois, Inc. (“Midway”). Midway had been hired by C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (“Robinson”), which itself had been hired by Ameriswiss to arrange for the transportation of its machines. Ameriswiss is suing Robinson for negligence (Count I) and breach of contract (Count II). Ameriswiss also asserted a claim against Midway under the federal Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. § 14706, and default has been entered against Midway in favor of Ameriswiss. See doc. no. 33. Robinson has asserted a cross claim against Midway for indemnification. Ameriswiss’s suit has been consolidated with a three-count subrogation action that was brought by Ameriswiss’s insurer, Massachusetts Bay Insurance Company (“MB Insurance”), against Robinson, Midway, and the driver employed by Midway.1 Before the court is Robinson’s motion for summary judgment on both of Ameriswiss’s claims and all three of MB Insurance’s claims. Ameriswiss has objected; MB Insurance has not. For the reasons that follow, Robinson’s motion for summary judgment is granted.

Summary Judgment Standard

“To prevail on summary judgment, the moving party must show that ‘there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.’ ” Market Am. Ins. Co. v. Diaz-Santiago, 674 F.3d 21, 29 (1st Cir. 2012) (quoting Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a)). “The object of summary judgment is to ‘pierce the boilerplate of the pleadings and assay the parties’ proof in order to determine whether trial is actually required.’ ” Dávila v. Corporación de P.R. Para La Diffusión Pública, 498 F.3d 9, 12 (1st Cir.2007) (quoting Acosta v. Ames Dep’t Stores, Inc., 386 F.3d 5, 7 (1st Cir.2004)). “[T]he court’s task is not to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial.” Noonan v. Staples, Inc., 556 F.3d 20, 25 (1st Cir.2009) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted).

“The nonmovant may defeat a summary judgment motion by demonstrating, through submissions of evidentiary quality, that a trialworthy issue persists.” Sánchez-Rodríguez v. AT & T Mobility P.R., Inc., 673 F.3d 1, 9 (1st Cir.2012) (quoting Iverson v. City of Boston, 452 F.3d 94, 98 (1st Cir.2006)). “However, ‘a conglomeration of conclusory allegations, improbable inferences, and unsupported speculation is insufficient to discharge the nonmovant’s burden.’ ” Sánchez-Rodríguez, 673 F.3d at 9 (quoting DePoutot v. Raffaelly, 424 F.3d 112, 117 (1st Cir.2005)). “Rather, the party seeking to avoid summary judgment must be able to point to specific, competent evidence to support his [or her] claim.” Sánchez-Rodríguez, 673 F.3d at 9 (quoting Soto-Ocasio v. Fed. Ex. Corp., 150 F.3d 14, 18 (1st Cir.1998)) (internal quotation marks omitted).

Background

Robinson has submitted a statement of material facts that meets the requirements of Local Rule 7.2(b)(1). Ameriswiss has not responded by submitting “a short and concise statement of material facts, supported by appropriate record citations, as to which [it] contends a genuine dispute [201]*201exists so as to require a trial.” LR 7.2(b)(2). Accordingly, “[a]ll properly supported material facts set forth in [Robinson]’s factual statement [document no. 41-3] shall be deemed admitted.” Id. Based upon the application of Local Rule 7.2(b)(2), the following facts, drawn from Robinson’s statement, are undisputed.

Ameriswiss, which is headquartered in Holderness, New Hampshire, buys used Escomatic machines and reconditions them for resale. On September 20, 2010, Ameriswiss purchased eleven used Escomatic machines, along with a grinding machine and an optical projector, all of which were located in Morrison, Illinois. For the thirteen machines, it paid $40,000, plus a twelve-percent commission, for a total outlay of $44,800.

Ameriswiss then contracted with Robinson to arrange the shipment of its machines from Illinois to New Hampshire. The parties agree that the terms of their contract are expressed in an e-mail from Robinson’s Jonathan Dunlop to Ameriswiss’s Heidi Luscher that states, in full: “Morrison, IL > Holderness, NH $2600 all inclusive.” Def.’s Mot. Summ. J., Dunlop Aff., Ex. 3 (doc. no. 41-5), at 20. After Ameriswiss contracted with Robinson, Robinson engaged Midway to haul the machines. On October 15, the machines were loaded onto one of Midway’s trucks. The next day, they were destroyed when the truck was involved in a single-vehicle accident in New York.

Based on the foregoing, Ameriswiss asserts that Robinson is liable for negligence because it breached its duty of care by failing to select a competent carrier to transport the machines, and is liable for breach of contract because it failed to safely transport the machines and failed to secure appropriate insurance for them while they were in transit. MB Insurance, in turn, asserts that Robinson: (1) by virtue of contracting with Midway, is liable for negligently transporting Ameriswiss’s machines; (2) breached its duty of care as a common carrier; (3) and breached its duty of care as a bailee.

Discussion

Robinson moves for summary judgment, arguing that: (1) both of the ordinary negligence claims (Ameriswiss’s Count I and MB Insurance’s Count I), MB Insurance’s common-carrier negligence claim (Count II), and its bailment claim (Count III) are preempted by federal law; (2) even if not preempted, the ordinary negligence and bailment claims fail as a matter of law;2 (3) Ameriswiss’s claim for breach of contract fails as a matter of law; and (4) even if it is liable to Ameriswiss, its liability is limited to $44,800, the amount that Ameriswiss paid for the machines. Ameriswiss disagrees, categorically. As noted, MB Insurance remains on the sidelines.

A. Robinson’s Role

Before mounting its substantive arguments for summary judgment, Robinson devotes several pages of its memorandum of law to what it calls “a threshold issue,” Def.’s Mem. of Law (doc. no. 41-1), at 11, namely, whether its actions were those of a transportation broker or those of a motor carrier.3 Robinson argues that it is be[202]*202yond genuine dispute4 that it acted, at all times, as a transportation broker. After asserting that it was a broker rather than a motor carrier, Robinson points out that

[u]nder long-standing principles of transportation law, cargo damage claims against

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Nicholas Meat, LLC. v. Pgh Logistics Systems
Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2022
Freight Tec Management v. Chemex
2021 UT App 92 (Court of Appeals of Utah, 2021)
DaSilva v. Border Transfer of MA, Inc.
377 F. Supp. 3d 74 (District of Columbia, 2019)
Total Quality Logistics, L.L.C. v. Red Chamber Co.
2017 Ohio 4369 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2017)
Alpine Fresh, Inc. v. Jala Trucking Corp.
181 F. Supp. 3d 250 (D. New Jersey, 2016)
Asarco LLC v. England Logistics Inc.
71 F. Supp. 3d 990 (D. Arizona, 2014)
Ameriswiss Tech. v. Midway Line of Ill.
2012 DNH 173 (D. New Hampshire, 2012)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
888 F. Supp. 2d 197, 2012 DNH 173, 2012 WL 4483744, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ameriswiss-technology-llc-v-midway-line-of-illinois-inc-nhd-2012.