Notice periods ▾
Note the damage on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves — an unqualified receipt is hard to argue against later. Apparent damage has almost no clock at all. By sea, notice must be given
before or at the time of removal of the goods (Hague-Visby art. III r. 6); by road,
not later than the time of delivery (CMR art. 30.1). Once the goods have moved, the
moment has passed.Non-apparent damage — what you find on unpacking — gets a few days:
7 days by road (CMR art. 30.1, Sundays and public holidays excepted; the date of
delivery itself is not counted, art. 30.4),
3 days by sea (Hague-Visby art. III r. 6),
14 days by air (Montreal art. 31.2).Loss caused by delay runs on a different clock:
21 days from the day the goods were placed at the consignee's disposal,
both by road (CMR art. 30.3) and by air (Montreal art. 31.2). Separately from all of the above, the time bar ends the right to sue:
1 year under CMR (art. 32.1, three years for wilful misconduct),
1 year under Hague-Visby (art. III r. 6),
2 years under Montreal (art. 35.1). A notice keeps the claim alive; a time bar kills it. Tell the insurer immediately. Do not repair or dispose of anything before the survey.
Evidence that carries weight ▾
Photographs of the seal, the container exterior, the stow and the damage itself The transport document and the delivery receipt with the remark Packing list and commercial invoice Survey report, where the loss justifies one Your claim against the carrier and their reply
The PDF this page generates is the document the claims stage expects you to attach.
Download it and keep it with the certificate of insurance.