Shipping claims · PRACTICAL GUIDE
Who Is Liable for Cargo Loss: Freight Forwarder or Carrier?
The company that communicated with the customer is not necessarily the only legally responsible party. Liability depends on role, contract, transport document and conduct.
Identify each legal role
A freight forwarder may act as agent, contractual carrier, multimodal operator or a combination across different stages. Review who issued the transport document, collected freight, selected subcontractors and promised delivery.
The actual carrier, warehouse and inland contractor may have separate obligations and liability regimes.
Act within time limits
Preserve the cargo, packaging, survey evidence, notices and all versions of transport documents. Contractual notice periods and statutory time bars can be short.
Map the claim against each party before settlement discussions. An admission or release with one participant may affect the wider recovery position.
Initial document checklist
- Booking and quotation
- Bill of lading
- Survey and cargo evidence
- Notices and dates
- Contractual chain
