Moving companies provide a valuable service to people who are moving home and need to ensure their possessions are transported to the new place to facilitate a smoother settling in process. However, there will be occasions when the company lets down its customers and causes damage to the consumer’s property. If you believe a moving company is responsible for damaging your possessions during the move, you should immediately file a claim to receive compensation. Once an organization signs a contract and is paid by you to deliver the goods from one place to another, they have a legal obligation. They must carefully transport the goods so that the materials arrive in the same condition as they were when leaving your home.

Keep Copy Of Inventory And Bill Of Lading
On the day of the move, the company should have an itemized inventory which needs to be checked by the customer. You must ensure that all items being moved are on the list as well as keeping a signed copy. This is vital because it is almost impossible to successfully file a claim without the requisite documentation. You will also receive a Bill of Lading which is essentially a receipt. Check your possessions as soon as they arrive and if anything is missing or damaged, write it down on either the Bill of Lading or copy of the inventory. Although doing this is not completely necessary, it will definitely strengthen your claim.

Contact The Moving Agent
The next step is to follow through with the claim by directly contacting the agent responsible for the handling of your move. A common mistake made by people is to rely on the moving crew to report the claim. The crew will not deliberately forget to mention your claim but distractions could cause it to fade from their memory during the course of a day.

Store Damaged Items
The other big mistake made by claimants is to not immediately take the damaged items and place them safely away for inspection. Keep the items until an inspector sent by the moving company arrives. If it is impossible to keep the items because they are hazardous, take clear digital pictures of the damaged items with the time and date clearly displayed. However, be sure to contact the moving company first to ensure that removing the damaged items does not invalidate your claim. Get their assurances in writing.

File Quickly
Speed is also of the essence when filing a claim as the majority of companies only allow approximately 9 months from the date of delivery to file a claim. While this may seem like a long time, it can pass by very quickly. Besides, the sooner a case like this dealt with, the more likely it is that the drivers and other involved parties clearly remember the details. This is the case with all compensation claims.

Once the claim has been submitted, a claims adjuster will be put on the case. An independent repair company will be used to inspect the damage and estimate the cost of repair or replacement. Expect some type of response within a week of filing the claim. Make sure that the adjuster is aware of your preferences. For example, you may believe that a certain item simply cannot be repaired and you would rather a replacement.

Your worldly goods should be taken care of by a moving company once they have been trusted with the responsibility. If you think they have failed in their duty, you can launch a claim but be sure to follow the above steps for satisfactory resolution.

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