---
id: KB-LG-007
url: https://app.codecontract.io/help/logistics/damaged-goods-proving-what-happened
idioma: en
categoria: sector-logistica
subcategoria: terrestre
audiencia: usuario
nivel: intermedio
actualizado: 2026-08-13
tambienEn: [es]
relacionados: [KB-LG-001, KB-CS-008, KB-LG-018]
citadoPor: [KB-CS-031, KB-LG-012, KB-LG-016, KB-LG-017]
---

# Damaged goods: proving what happened

_Someone's phone photo is not evidence. What makes it evidence is when it was taken._

**Responde a:** damaged freight claim · proving the load left in good condition · noting reservations on the delivery note · who is liable for transport damage

When goods arrive damaged, the argument is never about the damage: it is about where it happened. And that argument is won by whoever can show the state of the load at every handover, with a date that does not rest on their word.

## The four handovers you must be able to document

| Handover | What is recorded | Who usually holds it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Departure from origin | Condition, seal, temperature if relevant | The shipper |
| Loading onto the vehicle | Stowage, number of packages | The carrier |
| Unloading or change of mode | Condition on arrival, incidents | The intermediate warehouse |
| Final delivery | Receiver's reservations, if any | The consignee |

> [!IMPORTANT]
> The missing link is usually the third. When there is a vehicle change or a warehouse stop, almost nobody records condition — and that is exactly the leg where liability can be shared or dodged.

## What makes a photo count

1. **It is linked to the shipment, not loose on a phone** — A photo with no context does not say which shipment it belongs to.
2. **It carries a date that cannot be moved** — That is what shuts down the "that photo is from later" argument.
3. **It comes with who took it** — Evidence without an author carries half the weight.
4. **And it exists when everything is fine too** — Photographing only damage means the absence of a photo proves nothing.

> [!WARNING]
> The fourth point is what changes the outcome. If photos only exist when there is a problem, you cannot prove it left in good condition: only that it arrived damaged. Always recording departure is what puts you on the right side of the burden of proof.

## Reservations at delivery

The receiver's note at the moment of delivery is, in practice, the most valuable document in the whole chain — and the one most often lost, because it is handwritten on a note nobody scans afterwards. If delivery is signed on a phone, the reservation is written down, timed, and reaches the office before the truck does.

**En corto**

- Condition recorded at every handover, not just at the end.
- A provable date, not the file's.
- And the receiver's reservations, written where they will not be lost.

> [!NOTE]
> Claim windows are short and vary by transport mode. What does not vary is that they run from delivery: the sooner the incident reaches whoever handles it, the more room is left.

**What if the damage shows up days later?**

You can still claim, but what was recorded at delivery weighs heavily.

**Does sealing help here?**

Yes: it fixes that the file existed on that date, which is exactly what gets disputed.

**Is it needed for every shipment?**

For valuable or risky ones, yes. For the rest, at least delivery.

## Ejemplos

**A shipper faces a claim over damaged pallets and only has the consignee's photos.**

- Starts recording condition at departure for every shipment
- Captures receiver reservations on the phone-signed delivery

→ On the next claim it shows the load left in good order and liability shifts.

**Goods arrive damaged and nobody photographed the despatch.**

- Captures the condition at each handover

→ You can narrow down where it happened.

**The damage is found on unpacking, days later.**

- Records the condition on receipt and on opening

→ The two moments stay separate.

**Each party maintains it was fine when they let go.**

- Compares the records of both handovers

→ The dispute closes on data.

**The claim goes out late because evidence had to be hunted.**

- Has the evidence ready in the file

→ The claim goes out in time.

**A damaged delivery is accepted with no record.**

- Notes the incident at the moment

→ Acceptance does not close the door to claiming.