The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
(Cite as: 9A V.S.A. § 7-309)
-
§ 7—309. Duty of care; contractual limitation of carrier’s liability
(a) A carrier that issues a bill of lading, whether negotiable or nonnegotiable, shall
exercise the degree of care in relation to the goods which a reasonably careful person
would exercise under similar circumstances. This subsection does not affect any statute,
regulation, or rule of law that imposes liability upon a common carrier for damages
not caused by its negligence.
(b) Damages may be limited by a term in the bill of lading or in a transportation agreement
that the carrier’s liability may not exceed a value stated in the bill or transportation
agreement if the carrier’s rates are dependent upon value and the consignor is afforded
an opportunity to declare a higher value and the consignor is advised of the opportunity.
However, such a limitation is not effective with respect to the carrier’s liability
for conversion to its own use.
(c) Reasonable provisions as to the time and manner of presenting claims and commencing
actions based on the shipment may be included in a bill of lading or a transportation
agreement. (Added 2015, No. 51, § B.3, eff. June 3, 2015.)