(a) Every railroad company using cars of another railroad company, or cars which have been delivered to it by the other railroad company, shall be liable to the party entitled thereto to pay for the reasonable use and hire thereof and for injury or damages to or destruction of the cars, while in its possession or under its control, for the amount of such injury. In the case of cars in the shipment of freight between points wholly within this state, the amount for the use or hire of the cars may be prescribed by the Arkansas Department of Transportation, except where the owners of the cars and the railway companies agree upon the compensation, in which case the amount so fixed shall govern.
(b) When any railroad company or owner of any car is dissatisfied with the amount fixed by the department for the use, hire, loss, or destruction of, or damage to, the cars, or when the railroad company which is liable therefor fails to pay for the use, hire, loss, or destruction of the cars, the department or person entitled thereto, or which is liable for the use, hire, loss, injury, or destruction of the cars, shall be entitled to establish the reasonable value thereof in a suit brought in any court of this state having jurisdiction of the parties and of the amount in controversy, and the court shall render such judgment as to it shall deem just and reasonable.