Clean receipt
Signing for goods without noting damage weakens the claim against the carrier.
Definition
A delivery receipt signed without qualification records that the goods were received in apparent good order and condition. Under the carriage conventions that creates a presumption in the carrier's favour, which the claimant must then rebut. Noting the damage on the receipt at the time of delivery — clausing it — preserves the position, and non-apparent damage must be notified separately within the convention's window.
Why it decides money
The driver is in a hurry and the receipt gets signed clean. It is the single most common own goal in cargo claims, and it damages the recovery the insurer would otherwise have made.
Related terms
- Subrogation
- The insurer stepping into your shoes to recover from whoever caused the loss.
- Time bar
- The deadline after which the carrier cannot be sued at all.
- First notification of loss
- The first report of a loss, which starts every clock that matters.
More in carriage and documents
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