(a) Delivery on Court Order and Surety Bond.—If a negotiable bill of lading is lost, stolen, or destroyed, a court of competent jurisdiction may order the common carrier to deliver the goods if the person claiming the goods gives a surety bond, in an amount approved by the court, to indemnify the carrier or a person injured by delivery against liability under the outstanding original bill. The court also may order payment of reasonable costs and attorney’s fees to the carrier. A voluntary surety bond, without court order, is binding on the parties to the bond.
(b) Liability to Holder.—Delivery of goods under a court order under subsection (a) of this section does not relieve a common carrier from liability to a person to whom the negotiable bill has been or is negotiated for value without notice of the court proceeding or of the delivery of the goods.
Structure US Code
§ 80103. Negotiable and nonnegotiable bills
§ 80104. Form and requirements for negotiation
§ 80105. Title and rights affected by negotiation
§ 80106. Transfer without negotiation
§ 80107. Warranties and liability
§ 80108. Alterations and additions
§ 80109. Liens under negotiable bills
§ 80110. Duty to deliver goods
§ 80111. Liability for delivery of goods
§ 80112. Liability under negotiable bills issued in parts, sets, or duplicates
§ 80113. Liability for nonreceipt, misdescription, and improper loading
§ 80114. Lost, stolen, and destroyed negotiable bills
§ 80115. Limitation on use of judicial process to obtain possession of goods from common carriers