How to File a Damage Claim Against an Interstate Mover

The truck is gone and the dresser arrived cracked, or a box never came off. The wrong assumption is that the mover will look at its own paperwork and pay. It will not. Federal rules give you 9 months from delivery to file, but the claim only counts if it is in writing and names an amount, and what you can recover depends on the protection level on your bill of lading. Moves within one state follow that state's rules instead.

Write the damage on the inventory before the crew leaves

As items come off the truck, check them against the mover's inventory. When something is missing or damaged, write it on the inventory form and ask the driver to record it on the mover's copy too. Photograph the item, the box and the room before unpacking further. Keep the broken pieces until the claim is settled.

Check which protection you signed for

Find your bill of lading. Full value protection is the default, and under it the mover must repair, replace or pay for the item. If you signed the waiver for released value, the mover owes only 60 cents per pound per article, as of October 2026, so a 10 pound lamp pays 6 dollars whatever it cost.

Send a written claim with a dollar amount

Write to the mover, or use its claim form if it has one; the form is optional. The claim must identify the shipment, say the mover is liable for the loss or damage, and ask for a specific amount of money. A note on the inventory alone is not a claim. List each item, its damage, and the repair estimate or replacement price, and attach the photos. Send it so you can prove the date, well inside 9 months of delivery.

Hold the mover to its deadlines

The mover must acknowledge the claim in writing within 30 days of getting it. Within 120 days it must pay, decline, or make a firm settlement offer in writing. If it needs longer, it must send you a written status update at 120 days and every 60 days after that. Note each date it misses.

Demand arbitration if the claim stalls or is refused

Every interstate mover must offer an arbitration program and give you a summary of it before you sign the bill of lading. For a claim of 10,000 dollars or less, you can demand binding arbitration and the mover must take part. You pay no more than half the cost of starting it, and a decision is due within 60 days of the written notice of the dispute.

If the mover declines in writing. You have at least 2 years from the date of that written refusal to sue, so keep the letter.

If you moved recently. Changing your mailing address is its own task; see change your address with USPS without overpaying.

Sources. 49 CFR 1005.2, filing a claim, 49 CFR 1005.3, acknowledging claims, 49 CFR 1005.5, disposing of claims, 49 CFR 375 Appendix A, your rights and responsibilities when you move, 49 CFR 375.211, mover arbitration, 49 USC 14706, carrier liability and claim periods.