MARINE CARGO CLAIM: FIRST 72 HOURS
The first 72 hours, from Claims Desk by RFS

A clean signature on a damaged consignment is given away in a hurry by
someone who did not know what it cost. Here is the order to do things
in.

WHAT LOSES IT
Signing a clean receipt. It is the carrier's strongest defence, it is
given away at the gate in thirty seconds, and it is very hard to undo.

1. Do not sign a clean receipt  [At delivery]
   If the consignment looks damaged, short or tampered with, write
   that on the delivery document in specific terms before you sign
   it. Not "received in damaged condition" -- what is damaged, how
   many, which seals.

2. Tell the insurer immediately  [Same day]
   As soon as the loss or damage is noticed. Marine cover is
   intimation-sensitive and the insurer may want a surveyor to see
   the goods before they move again.

3. Serve notice on the carrier in writing  [Within the time set]
   A written claim on the transporter, shipping line or airline,
   within the time your policy and the contract of carriage require.
   Missing this can destroy the insurer's right of recovery and with
   it part of your claim. The limit differs by policy and by mode,
   so read yours.

4. Hold the goods and the packing  [Until surveyed]
   Including pallets, crates, seals, the container and the lashing.
   Packing often decides whether the cause was an insured peril or
   insufficient packing, an exclusion.

5. Photograph the consignment as it arrived  [At delivery]
   Before unloading if you can. Seal numbers, container condition,
   the stack, the water line, damaged cartons in place, then the
   goods themselves.

6. Get a joint survey arranged  [Days 1 to 3]
   With the insurer's surveyor and, where possible, the carrier
   present. A survey attended by all sides is much harder to argue
   with afterwards.

7. Assemble the transit file  [Days 1 to 5]
   Invoice, packing list, lorry receipt or bill of lading or airway
   bill, the policy or certificate, the delivery challan carrying
   your remarks, the weighment slip, and the correspondence with the
   carrier.

8. Do not repair or dispose of the goods  [Until settled]
   Not until the surveyor has seen them and the salvage position is
   agreed in writing.

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Claims Desk by RFS - claimsdesk.in - 92514 56334
We run insurance claims end to end, including on policies placed
elsewhere. Nothing here is legal advice, and what your policy pays
is decided by its wording and the facts of the loss. Where this
says 'the time your policy sets', read your own wording: the
periods genuinely differ and a wrong one costs the claim.