This Guide will help you to avoid misunderstandings about claims handling process and to make the process as efficient and simple as possible.
STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE
1.Notify your insurance underwriter
2.Contact Liner Customer Service
3.Engage a surveyor if necessary
4.Mitigate cargo loss
5.Collect documents
6.Submit a quantified claim
7.Protect against time bar
1. Notify your insurance underwriter
If damage or loss to your cargo is apparent upon receipt, you should notify your cargo insurance underwriters immediately. They will advise you how to
comply with all procedures required to fully protect your insurance coverage.
2. Contact Liner’s Customer Service
At the same time, you should also contact your local Shipping Line Customer Service Department so that we may assist you in the most effective manner. You should do so immediately because a late notification will adversely affect your legal position. Late notification may also make it difficult to identify the exact condition of the cargo on delivery and to distinguish between the damage that may have occurred while in Shpping Line’s care and any possible aggravated damage after delivery.
3. Engage a surveyor if necessary
Please note that you are not required to engage a surveyor. There are, however, benefits in engaging one. Independent marine surveyors are professionals who are well-versed in examining damaged cargo and surrounding circumstances. They may spot issues, facts or conditions which an untrained eye may miss. In addition, they can often assist in loss mitigation. The surveyors will summarise their findings in a report, which may form the basis for your claim for compensation from Shipping Line. You should weigh the expense of surveyors against the benefit of their work product and expertise, and make your decisions accordingly. Preferably, the survey should be undertaken jointly, with Shipping Line appointing a separate surveyor. If possible, the survey should take place while the cargo is still untouched in the container so as to provide the surveyors the opportunity to observe the cargo’s stowage, bracing and blocking, damage pattern, and other points of interest.