Courier Gets Sued for Refusing a Delivery

The fluorescent lights of the small claims courtroom buzzed with a dull, incessant hum that seemed to amplify the anxiety radiating from Ben. He sat at the defendant’s table, wearing his company polo shirt which was pressed but frayed at the collar. He was twenty-two, built like a runner rather than a weightlifter, and he looked entirely out of place across from the plaintiff, Mr. Richard Halloway.

Halloway was a man who wore his entitlement like a second skin. He sat checking his gold watch, tapping his expensive leather loafers against the linoleum floor, clearly annoyed that he had to be in the same room as the man who delivered his mail.

Judge Marcus Reynolds entered the room. Reynolds was a man of few words and even less patience for frivolity. He took his seat, the leather chair creaking under the weight of his authority, and peered over his reading glasses at the two men.

“Docket number 742,” the bailiff announced. “Halloway vs. Miller. Claim of breach of contract and damages resulting from failure to deliver.“

“Mr. Halloway,” Judge Reynolds began, his voice dry. “You are suing this courier for two thousand dollars? Please explain.“

Halloway stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. “Yes, Your Honor. It is a simple matter of incompetence and breach of service. I ordered a specialized, imported ceramic kiln for my wife’s studio. I paid for expedited, doorstep delivery. I have the receipt right here.” He waved a piece of paper in the air. “On the day of delivery, Mr. Miller arrived in his truck. He pulled into my driveway. He got out, looked at the package, got back in his truck, and drove away. He refused to bring me my package. I had to hire a private moving crew two days later to go to the depot and retrieve it. I am seeking compensation for the movers, the delay, and the emotional distress caused by this blatant laziness.“

Ben shrank in his seat. The word “laziness” stung. He had worked six days a week for the last year, missing holidays and family dinners to ensure people got their boxes.

Judge Reynolds turned his gaze to Ben. “Mr. Miller. You heard the plaintiff. You arrived at the location. You had the package. Why did you not deliver it?“

Ben stood up slowly. His hands were shaking slightly. He wasn’t a lawyer; he was a driver. “Your Honor, I wanted to deliver it. I really did. It’s my job. But when I opened the back of the truck and checked the manifest, I saw the weight.“

“And what was the weight?” the Judge asked.

“The waybill listed it at one hundred and eighty-five pounds, sir,” Ben said quietly.

Halloway scoffed audibly. “So? You’re a delivery man. Lift it.“

Judge Reynolds silenced Halloway with a sharp look before turning back to Ben. “Go on.“

“Your Honor, I drive a standard sprinter van. I don’t have a hydraulic lift gate. I don’t have a pallet jack. I only have a hand truck rated for one hundred pounds. Company safety protocols—and OSHA regulations—state that a single driver cannot lift anything over seventy pounds without assistance or proper equipment. If the package is over one hundred and fifty pounds, it requires a freight team.“

Ben took a deep breath. “I called dispatch. I told them the box was too heavy to lift safely. If I had tried to pull that kiln out of the van by myself, I would have dropped it on the pavement or snapped my spine. My dispatcher told me not to touch it. He said to mark it as ‘undeliverable due to safety hazard’ and bring it back to the hub so a freight team could handle it.“

“So,” the Judge said, piecing it together. “You followed the instructions of your employer?“

“Yes, sir. I’m not allowed to break safety protocol. If I get hurt lifting something over the limit, I lose my worker’s comp and I get fired.“

Judge Reynolds turned back to Halloway. The Judge’s expression had shifted from neutral to something far more critical.

“Mr. Halloway,” the Judge said. “Did you request freight delivery?“

“I requested standard delivery,” Halloway snapped. “It’s not my job to know the logistics. I paid for it to be brought to my door. He refused to do his job.“

“You paid for a standard courier,” Reynolds corrected. “You paid for a single human being in a van to bring a box to your door. You did not pay for a freight team. And yet, when this man arrived and realized that moving your item would likely result in catastrophic injury to himself or destruction of your property, you decided to sue him personally?“

“He works for the service!” Halloway argued. “He represents them!“

“He is a human being,” Reynolds retorted, his voice rising. “He is not a forklift. You are asking this court to penalize a worker for refusing to cripple himself for your hobby equipment.“

Halloway flushed red. “I want compensation! The contract was for delivery!“

Judge Reynolds leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “Let’s look at this clearly. The courier acted correctly by following safety rules. In fact, had he attempted to move that one-hundred-and-eighty-five-pound crate and dropped it, you would be here suing him for the cost of the kiln. Instead, he preserved your property and his own health.“

The Judge paused, looking at the paperwork Ben had provided—the company safety manual, the weight limits, the dispatch log.

“However,” the Judge continued, shifting his focus, “there is a failure here. But it is not Mr. Miller’s. The failure lies with the logistics company that accepted a freight-weight item for a standard courier route. They sent a soldier into battle with a water gun.“

“So I get nothing?” Halloway demanded.

“No,” Reynolds said firmly. “You are suing the wrong entity. Mr. Miller is an employee following a federally mandated safety protocol. You cannot sue an employee for adhering to the law. However, the company is responsible for ensuring delivery.“

The Judge began writing on the docket. “I am dismissing the claim against Mr. Miller with prejudice. He is not liable for damages. Furthermore, I am issuing a summary judgment regarding the shipping costs.“

He looked up at Halloway. “The company failed to flag this item as heavy freight at the point of sale. They accepted your money and sent a driver who was physically incapable of completing the task due to their own regulations. Therefore, the company will cover the cost of the second shipment.“

“But I already paid the movers!” Halloway protested.

“Then you will take that invoice to the logistics company’s corporate claims department,” Reynolds said, his tone final. “You will not extract it from the paycheck of a driver who makes twenty dollars an hour. This court finds it abhorrent that you would expect a man to risk permanent disability because you didn’t want to wait for a freight truck.”

Ben felt the tension leave his body. He looked up at the Judge, who gave him a brief, affirmative nod.

“Mr. Miller, you are free to go,” the Judge said. “And keep following those safety rules. No job is worth your back.”

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Ben said, his voice steady for the first time that morning.

Halloway stood there, mouth agape, holding his useless receipt as the gavel came down. He had walked in expecting to crush a subordinate; he walked out realizing that in the eyes of the law, safety was worth more than his convenience.