American Eagle Towing Loses Bid to Block Inter Freight Suit
A Florida appeals court let a lawsuit against towing company American Eagle Towing move forward, ruling the lower court can decide whether the company must face claims from freight hauler Inter Freight over an alleged unpaid tow bill.
The dispute began when Inter Freight hired American Eagle to tow a disabled rig. American Eagle later sued in small claims court to collect its fee. Inter Freight countered with its own lawsuit in circuit court, claiming the tow damaged its equipment and caused lost profits. American Eagle asked the trial judge to dismiss or pause the bigger case, arguing the small-claims filing should control everything. The judge refused, and American Eagle appealed.
The Third District Court of Appeal held that nothing forces one case to stop because the other exists. Florida law lets separate courts handle related disputes at the same time unless a specific statute or court rule says otherwise. The panel found no such bar here, so both actions can proceed. For trucking and towing firms, the decision means a bill-collection case won’t automatically shield them from bigger damage claims filed elsewhere.
Bottom Line: Parallel lawsuits can run at once unless the law says stop.
https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10876277/american-eagle-towing-inc-v-inter-freight-inc/
What steps do you take when a customer threatens a counter-suit after you file for unpaid freight charges?