49 CFR Part 370 — Principles and Practices for the Investigation and Voluntary Disposition of Loss and Damage Claims and Processing Salvage

PART 370—PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR THE INVESTIGATION AND VOLUNTARY DISPOSITION OF LOSS AND DAMAGE CLAIMS AND PROCESSING SALVAGE Authority: 49 U.S.C. 13301 and 14706; and 49 CFR 1.87. Source: 62 FR 32042, June 12, 1997, unless otherwise noted. § 370.1 Applicability of regulations. The regulations set forth in this part shall govern the processing of claims for loss, damage, injury, or delay to property transported or accepted for transportation, in interstate or foreign commerce, by each motor carrier and freight forwarder (hereinafter called carrier), subject to 49 U.S.C. subtitle IV, part B. [62 FR 32042, June 12, 1997, as amended at 91 FR 7859, Feb. 19, 2026] § 370.3 Filing of claims. (a) Compliance with regulations. (b) Minimum filing requirements. (1) Containing facts sufficient to identify the baggage or shipment (or shipments) of property, (2) Asserting liability for alleged loss, damage, injury, or delay, and (3) Making claim for the payment of a specified or determinable amount of money, shall be considered as sufficient compliance with the provisions for filing claims embraced in the bill of lading or other contract of carriage; Provided, however, (c) Documents not constituting claims. (d) Claims filed for uncertain amounts. (e) Other claims. [62 FR 32042, June 12, 1997, as amended at 83 FR 16223, Apr. 16, 2018] § 370.5 Acknowledgment of claims. (a) Each carrier shall, upon receipt in writing of a proper claim in the manner and form described in the regulations in the past, acknowledge the receipt of such claim in writing to the claimant within 30 days after the date of its receipt by the carrier unless the carrier shall have paid or declined such claim in writing within 30 days of the receipt thereof. The carrier shall indicate in its acknowledgment to the claimant what, if any, additional documentary evidence or other pertinent information may be required by it further to process the claim as its preliminary examination of the claim, as filed, may have revealed. (b) The carrier shall at the time each claim is received create a separate file and assign thereto a successive claim file number and note that number on all documents filed in support of the claim and all records and correspondence with respect to the claim, including the acknowledgment of receipt. At the time such claim is received the carrier shall cause the date of receipt to be recorded on the face of the claim document, and the date of receipt shall also appear in the carrier's acknowledgment of receipt to the claimant. The carrier shall also cause the claim file number to be noted on the shipping order, if in its possession, and the delivery receipt, if any, covering such shipment, unless the carrier has established an orderly and consistent internal procedure for assuring: (1) That all information contained in shipping orders, delivery receipts, tally sheets, and all other pertinent records made with respect to the transportation of the shipment on which claim is made, is available for examination upon receipt of a claim; (2) That all such records and documents (or true and complete reproductions thereof) are in fact examined in the course of the investigation of the claim (and an appropriate record is made that such examination has in fact taken place); and (3) That such procedures prevent the duplicate or otherwise unlawful payment of claims. [62 FR 32042, June 12, 1997, as amended at 83 FR 16223, Apr. 16, 2018] § 370.7 Investigation of claims. (a) Prompt investigation required. (b) Supporting documents. Provided, however, Provided, further, (c) Verification of loss. [62 FR 32042, June 12, 1997, as amended at 83 FR 16223, Apr. 16, 2018] § 370.9 Disposition of claims. (a) Each carrier subject to 49 U.S.C. subtitle IV, part B which receives a written claim for loss or damage to baggage or for loss, damage, injury, or delay to property transported shall pay, decline, or make a firm compromise settlement offer in writing to the claimant within 120 days after receipt of the claim by the carrier; Provided, however, (b) When settling a claim for loss or damage, a household goods motor carrier as defined in § 375.103 of this subchapter shall use the replacement costs of the lost or damaged item as a base to apply a depreciation factor to arrive at the current actual value of the lost or damaged item. [62 FR 32042, June 12, 1997, as amended at 78 FR 58478, Sept. 24, 2013; 81 FR 68345, Oct. 4, 2016; 83 FR 16224, Apr. 16, 2018] § 370.11 Processing of salvage. (a) Whenever baggage or material, goods, or other property transported by a carrier subject to the provisions in this part is damaged or alleged to be damaged and is, as a consequence thereof, not delivered or is rejected or refused upon tender thereof to the owner, consignee, or person entitled to receive such property, the carrier, after giving due notice, whenever practicable to do so, to the owner and other parties that may have an interest therein, and unless advised to the contrary after giving such notice, shall undertake to sell or dispose of such property directly or by the employment of a competent salvage agent. The carrier shall only dispose of the property in a manner that will fairly and equally protect the best interests of all persons having an interest therein. The carrier shall make an itemized record sufficient to identify the property involved so as to be able to correlate it to the shipment or transportation involved, and claim, if any, filed thereon. The carrier also shall assign to each lot of such property a successive lot number and note that lot number on its record of shipment and claim, if any claim is filed thereon. (b) Whenever disposition of salvage material or goods shall be made directly to an agent or employee of a carrier or through a salvage agent or company in which the carrier or one or more of its directors, officers, or managers has any interest, financial or otherwise, that carrier's salvage records shall fully reflect the particulars of each such transaction or relationship, or both, as the case may be. (c) Upon receipt of a claim on a shipment on which salvage has been processed in the manner prescribed in this section, the carrier shall record in its claim file thereon the lot number assigned, the amount of money recovered, if any, from the disposition of such property, and the date of transmittal of such money to the person or persons lawfully entitled to receive the same.

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