subject: When Courier Drivers Get In Accidents [print this page] When a driver is on the road for his entire workday, the odds of them getting in an accident are just going to increase through the laws of probability. The driving expertise and experience that someone who works for a Washington DC courier service is going to have will help them to slightly negate those probabilities; however, there is still a chance they could be in an accident someday. If this happens, it is important that you know what is going to happen.
When a courier driver is in an accident, there is a chance that the cargo that you are shipping with them could be damaged. This won't always be the case. Generally speaking the shipments are quite securely packed, and trailers are meant to help constrain the cargo. If this is done well, no damage should happen to your cargo. However, in more severe accidents, this may not be enough and your items could become a loss.
When this happens, you're going to have to make some kind of an insurance claim. This is why proper documentation and preparation are all very important. When you are shipping with a courier company there is a variety of paperwork that they are going to require you to fill out, including documents which state the value of your goods. You need to accurately represent that value in case you do need to make an insurance claim of some kind.
If you're not sure why this is important, realize that you are at a risk of losing a lot of money as a company if you underestimate the value of your shipment and then have your goods damaged in an accident. Of course, this doesn't always mean that you can claim your shipment for exactly what it's worth either. That is because of something called the maximum declared value.
This means that the courier company's insurance is only going to cover up to a certain amount. If your goods are worth more than that, you will have to take out additional insurance. This is part of the preparation that it is important to do before you ship, so that you're covered in the case of an accident.
After the accident, the courier company will notify you immediately. From there, you will have to either examine your package yourself, or get a report from your client if they complete the delivery. Then you will have to decide if filing a claim is necessary.
