Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 7.309 · Subchapter C. BILLS OF LADING: SPECIAL PROVISIONS
DUTY OF CARE; CONTRACTUAL LIMITATION OF CARRIER'S LIABILITY.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(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 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.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1967, 60th Leg., p. 2343, ch. 785, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1967.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 122 (S.B. 1593), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/BC/htm/BC.7.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 bd195cfbf23e68315fca4f57ec5521d4f7af43616b4a3bcf3c8b6c85aaabc5c9
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.