Opinion ID: 379003
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Caselaw On Government Bills of Lading

Text: 42 Few cases have been called to our attention dealing expressly with the applicability of section 20(11) to a government bill of lading. The case which gives the plaintiffs the greatest comfort is Anton v. Greyhound Van Lines, 591 F.2d 103 (1st Cir. 1978). On facts similar to those presented here, the court held that a carrier was liable to a serviceperson for full value of goods damaged in transit because it had not complied with the released value requirements of section 20(11). The court mistakenly refers to the military person as the shipper, although it seems clear that the goods were, as here, shipped on a government bill of lading at a declared value of 60 cents per pound pursuant to a general tender to the DOD. No mention is made in the opinion of section 22, and apparently it was not called to the court's attention. Had it been, we are confident that the result in Anton would have been different. 43 No other cases on which the parties rely are particularly helpful. In Rocky Ford Moving Lines, Inc. v. United States, 501 F.2d 1369 (8th Cir. 1974), the court enforced the 60 cent per pound limitation of liability, but did not clearly disclose whether its decision rested upon a section 22 exemption or upon substantial compliance with section 20(11). In Fort Worth & Denver R.R. Co. v. United States, 242 F.2d 702 (5th Cir. 1957), the court held that the carrier was liable to the United States for full value because neither the section 22 quotation nor the bill of lading contained a lower declared value. 242 F.2d at 705. 44 In C & H Transp. Co. v. United States, 436 F.2d 480, 193 Ct.Cl. 872 (1971), the government argued that the section 22 tender (which contained no released value provision) governed. The carrier contended that the section 22 quotation incorporated by reference the carrier's published tariff regulations and released values. The court held for the government. Although the court recognized that a section 22 rate was exclusive, it did not mention section 20(11). 26 45 In a similar context, section 22 quotations were recognized as lawfully published and filed with the commission, although not approved. See Atchison, Topeka & S. F. R. Co. v. United States, 572 F.2d 843 (Ct.Cl. 1978). Apparently, the court viewed publication and filing as the only necessary elements for section 22 rates. However, the court did not discuss the applicability of section 20(11). 46 Finally, plaintiffs rely on dicta in Hughes Transp. Co. v. United States, 121 F.Supp. 212, 128 Ct.Cl. 221 (1954), which was vacated, and summary judgment was granted to the government for other reasons in a subsequent decision. 27 168 F.Supp. 219, 144 Ct.Cl. 200 (1958), cert. denied, 359 U.S. 968, 79 S.Ct. 879, 3 L.Ed.2d 835 (1959). To the extent that the Hughes opinion tends to support plaintiffs' version of the interaction between sections 20(11) and 22, we find it unpersuasive. 47 This is, so far as we can tell, the first case which has considered whether the Carmack and Cummins Amendments require Interstate Commerce Commission approval of declared value limitations in government tariffs and bills of lading. As indicated above, we think the government is free to contract for declared value limitations without such approval.