Transportation Law

Schumann Arevalo LLP has become known in the transportation community for its skillful, knowledgeable and creative defense of transportation industry companies. Schumann represents transportation clients on a national, regional and local level in the trucking, shipping, cargo, property broker, freight forwarder, bus, taxi, private fleet including insurers of transportation companies.

Schumann Arevalo LLP defends their transportation clients against catastrophic injury, personal injury, wrongful death, and property loss claims and lawsuits. Schumann Arevalo LLP also handles the defense of cargo claims involving the Carmack Amendment and other theories of recovery under state law, often asserting applicable limitations of liability on behalf of motor carrier clients. Schumann can even assist their clients with their own claims in the shipping and warehousing industries.

Schumann Arevalo LLP transportation practice draws on its collective familiarity with the key experts in accident investigation and reconstruction, transportation regulation, trucking industry issues, biomechanics, human factors, roadway design and other areas of expertise. Schumann also assists its clients in the formation and interpretation of transportation contracts, especially where the issues include indemnification clauses, tenders of defense, insurance coverage, contract law, principal-agency, and liability of brokers and shippers.

Schumann Arevalo LLP also has direct, hands-on experience with the trucking industry, including the keeping and reading of driver log books, adjusting trailer brakes and duals, hooking up and dropping trailers, and exploring and investigating (with experts) mechanical issues. This provides us with a thorough understanding of the critical evidence in our transportation cases. Because claims typically involve judgments by the trier-of-fact concerning the conduct of drivers or other transportation actors, Schumann’s extensive knowledge and expertise in preventability issues, safety policies, product issues, and the use of de-biasing techniques to combat hindsight bias are invaluable in making the difference between an adverse result and a successful outcome.

Coordination of First Response Accident Investigation

Schumann Arevalo LLP has also created a "First Response Team" that is available 24 hours/7 days a week to immediately respond to accident scenes and other catastrophic losses. This is invaluable in the collection of key evidence which can otherwise be lost from an accident scene. In addition to having one of Schumann’s attorneys on-site, we are also able to bring in experts, photographers, vehicle experts and any other relevant personnel to provide the best possible defense to the client under the most trying of circumstances.