2304 - Liability of common carriers for damages to property in transit; bills of lading.

     § 2304.  Liability of common carriers for damages to property in                transit; bills of lading.        (a)  General rule.--Every common carrier that receives     property for transportation between points within this     Commonwealth shall issue a receipt or bill of lading therefor,     and shall be liable to the lawful holder thereof for any loss,     damage, or injury to such property caused by it, or any other     common carrier to which such property may be delivered, or over     whose line such property may be transported. No contract,     receipt, rule or regulation shall exempt such common carrier     from the liability hereby imposed. The commission may, by     regulation or order, authorize or require any common carrier to     establish and maintain rates related to the value of shipments     declared in writing by the shipper, or agreed upon in writing as     the release value of such shipments; such declaration or     agreement to have no effect other than to limit liability and     recovery to an amount not exceeding the value so declared or     released. Any tariff filed pursuant to such regulation or order     shall specifically refer thereto.        (b)  Rights of holder and common carrier.--This section does     not deprive any lawful holder of such receipt or bill of lading     of any remedy or right of action which such holder has under     existing laws. Any common carrier issuing such receipt or bill     of lading shall, in the event of a recovery of a judgment     against, or of a satisfaction made by, such common carrier for     such loss or damage, be entitled to recover from the common     carrier on whose line the loss or damage shall have been     sustained, an amount not in excess of the loss or damage to such     property which the lawful holder of such bill of lading or     receipt would otherwise have been entitled to recover against     such last mentioned common carrier, and not in excess of the     amount actually paid to the holder of such receipt or bill of     lading.