Transportation

Transport losses happen away from the insured's premises: on a highway, at a port or somewhere between a terminal and a depot. By the time a claim is notified, the cargo may have been moved, the vehicle repaired and the driver back on the road. We inspect the loss, establish what happened and how much was lost, and check the claim against the policy and any haulage or carriage contract behind it.

Our adjusters work with marine surveyors, engineers and the police where needed, and we protect insurers' recovery rights against carriers and other third parties.

Specialist Areas

We offer specialist adjusting support in the following areas, including but not limited to:

• Goods-in-transit and cargo theft
• Haulage agreements, hired vehicles and carrier liability
• Marine cargo surveys at discharge and in port
• Commercial vehicles, tankers, tractors and trailers
• Freight forwarders' liability
• Subrogation and recovery against carriers

Our Results in Transportation

Sesame Seeds Stolen from a Parked Truck

A truck carrying 700 bags of sesame seeds was parked overnight on a major highway when 42 bags were stolen by unknown persons. The insured claimed under its goods-in-transit policy.

We investigated with site inspections and the police report, measured the loss and applied average and excess in line with the policy. Late notification and missing documents were addressed in our report before we recommended a fair settlement.

Tanker Overturned After Its Trailer Detached

A hired tanker carrying 45,000 litres of diesel from Lagos to Calabar overturned in Delta State when the truck head separated from the trailer on a badly damaged road. Part of the cargo spilled, and the recovered fuel was moved to another vehicle within hours.

We confirmed the accident was covered and verified the shortfall. The policy required hired trucks to operate under a haulage agreement that made the carrier responsible for the cargo, but the agreement in place limited the carrier to its own negligence. The warranty was only partly met, and our settlement recommendation was reduced to reflect that. Read the full case.