How can businesses make sure that accidents are properly investigated?
Calling law enforcement to the scene is a must. Most accidents that occur will likely be transferred over to a company’s insurance company through the insurance broker.
Make sure you have the right insurance professional. A large proportion of a transportation company’s risk is over the road. Make sure you have a professional who understands your business, knows how to negotiate the best coverage terms to protect company assets from accidental events, and who can act as an advocate on your company’s behalf when a loss occurs. This is key for a business that has a potentially high exposure to losses because of the level of risk inherent to the business. Transportation is a very specialized field and you need insurance professionals who know the exposures inherent to this industry and who are able to match up the right coverage to transfer high-cost losses.
Too many companies go with agents and insurance carriers that don’t understand their business, or the coverage needed to protect them. The best agencies specialize, are committed to understanding their clients’ individual business needs, have strong relationships with insurance carriers that understand the industries for which they write coverage and provide a dedicated claims department to assist in investigations when accidents occur.
How can businesses prepare employees to do the right thing if they are involved in an accident?
The first step is having a well-defined written safety manual that includes policies and procedures. The second is making sure that employees understand what needs to happen when an accident occurs. Written procedures should outline what is expected in the event of a loss, who the employee needs to contact, what information the employee needs to gather at the scene and how the employee should conduct himself or herself. Employees should never accept fault at the scene. Only an investigation conducted by law enforcement, accident reconstructionist and the parties’ insurance and legal professionals should determine cause. This will allow a liability determination to be made that recognizes the extent that each party was responsible.
The goal of an investigation is not to place blame. Open discussion between employer and employee prevents employee apprehension and allows accurate facts regarding the accident to be gathered. Without this information, prevention becomes cumbersome and difficult to manage. That, in turn, ultimately costs the company more money and time.
Training and preparedness are extremely important. When Captain Chesley Sullenberger landed his plane in the Hudson River, everyone survived. He attributed the outcome to training, saying his ‘entire life was in preparation to handle that particular moment.’ Drivers and transportation companies have a similar responsibility to focus on the safe operation of their vehicles, safety of other motorists and the safe delivery of freight.
Charles Russo is an account executive with ECBM Insurance Brokers and Consultants. Reach him at (610) 668-7100, ext. 1228, or [email protected].
