The driver caused damage to my property during delivery, what do I do?
The driver caused damage to my property during delivery, what do I do?
With the delivery of shipping containers to either residential, commercial, or industrial properties damages can occur. There are many ways damages can occur from property damage which can include severe to medium property damage. As well if the driver is not careful and well educated in delivering containers, they can also damage the container. Within this blog post will we discuss how to claim property damage and what steps to take if your property is severely damaged by a container delivery.
Delivery of the Container.
Typically, delivery of shipping container is done in a professional manner and no property damage will occur. Sometimes there is the case that this does happen and there can be action taken to compensate for the errors in judgment.
- What to do if my property is severely damaged.
If your property is severely damaged the best thing to do is take photos of the damaged areas. That way you have a personal record of the damage that has occurred. Once photos are taken compensation can be disputed through legal entities. Then it becomes a dispute between the party who delivered the containers and the party who was delivering the containers.
- Limited Property damage.
If there is limited property damage, there is many things can be done. In many cases either the property owner or the delivery company will pay for the damage depending on who is liable. In cases like these it is typically a small fix or requires minimal financial compensation.
- Damage to the Container.
It is up to delivery company to check the container prior to loading to determine if the container is cargo worthy, meaning if there are any holes, leak, or significant damages. If there are damages the delivery must contact SIGMA Container and we will find a replacement that meets our standards.
How to Assess Damage in Financial terms
This is a tricky thing to accomplish if terms are not laid out before hand. If there is no contract or term relating to property damage this could become harder to determine. Typically, terms are laid out to explain when compensation is needed and when it will not be applied.
Typically, if property damage if likely to occur a waiver will be signed to determine that the delivery company is not liable for damages. A waiver is included when the ground is soft and when the delivery does not occur on pavement or asphalt.
Financial damages can be determined in many ways, commonly it is seen by way of property damage. Property damage tends to happen less frequently than other damages but can cost the most. How to avoid this is to have clear guidelines in regard to property damage and who is liable.
If no strict guidelines are laid out anything is up for grabs when it comes to property damage.
How to solve disputes related to property damage
Firstly, make sure clear rules are explained to both the customer and the delivery team. Once, clear rules are set in place and agreed upon everything will be stable. If anything happens the contract and the terms laid out are the only way to follow.
If severe damage or even injuries occur authorities should be contacted immediately. Then liability, or financial compensation will be required if serious on-site injuries have occurred. Overall, all terms will be explained and laid out in term of contract relating to damages to property.
Challenges
With damages comes a lot of challenges for both the customer and the delivery team. External factors such as weather and traffic help to determine various aspects of the delivery if it goes wrong. Challenges can occur within the logistical aspect of deliveries including the coordination of set time and availability for both the client and the delivery team.
Challenges are bound to occur but with constant communication delivery operations can run smoothly and effectively. Allowing for both the client and the supplier to be happy.
Conclusion
Throughout deliveries of containers property damage can occur, it best to be prepared for the worst in this situation. Having a clear contract and proper damage wavier signed can be the best case for the delivery team in case the worst happens. I want to express that damages very rarely occur, typically experience driver are not going to damage the property. In cases they do it is only where the ground is soft typically in winter and spring conditions. Overall, damages may occur but they are a simple problems that can be fixed in many ways.