IMLARCO Guidelines 01
Cargo Claims, Survey & Recovery Guidelines
Institute Cargo Clauses 2009 – Practical Coverage, Adjustment & Recovery
First Edition | 2025
A practical professional reference for marine cargo claims, surveying, loss adjustment and recovery.
The guide brings together insurance coverage, causation, evidence, quantum, mitigation, reporting and third-party recovery, with particular reference to the Institute Cargo Clauses 2009 and their application in modern claims practice.
The objective is not simply to explain clauses, but to show how a cargo claim should be investigated, documented, measured and preserved from the first notification through to adjustment and recovery.
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About this publication
IMLARCO Guidelines is our professional publication series addressing practical issues in marine claims, surveys, loss adjustment, casualty investigation and recovery. Guidelines 01 focuses on cargo claims and the practical application of the Institute Cargo Clauses 2009 within modern claims practice.
Who should read it
The guide has been structured to remain useful across different levels of marine claims experience — from professionals developing their technical understanding to senior practitioners reviewing complex files.
Publication notice
This publication is provided for general professional guidance and reference.
© 2025 IMLARCO. All rights reserved.
The strongest claim file is built from the first hour.
Evidence before conclusion. Chronology before assumption. Rights preservation before negotiation.
Guidelines 01
About this publication
IMLARCO Guidelines is our professional publication series addressing practical issues in marine claims, surveys, loss adjustment, casualty investigation and recovery.
Guidelines 01 focuses on cargo claims and the practical application of the Institute Cargo Clauses 2009 within modern claims practice.
The publication connects the insurance contract with the physical investigation of the loss. It considers not only whether cargo has been damaged, but what happened, when and where it occurred, what evidence supports the conclusion, how the resulting loss should be measured, and whether recovery rights against a carrier or other responsible party can be preserved.
Throughout the guide, survey, causation, coverage-sensitive facts, quantum, mitigation and recovery are treated as connected disciplines rather than isolated stages of a claim.
Audience
Who should read it
The guide has been structured to remain useful across different levels of marine claims experience — from professionals developing their technical understanding to senior practitioners reviewing complex files.
- Marine cargo claims handlers
- Loss adjusters
- Marine and cargo surveyors
- Recovery and subrogation professionals
- Marine insurers and underwriters
- Insurance brokers
- P&I correspondents and claims teams
- Freight forwarding and logistics claims professionals
- Maritime lawyers and dispute professionals
- Different Cargo Interests
What the guide covers
From policy wording to evidence, adjustment and recovery
The publication follows the life of a cargo claim rather than treating insurance, surveying and recovery as separate subjects.
Claims Architecture
Building the file around contract, interest, insured period, peril, exclusions, quantum and recovery.
ICC 2009 – Scope of Cover
Understanding the practical operation of the Institute Cargo Clauses and the importance of the actual policy wording and endorsements.
Exclusions
Packing, inherent vice, delay, ordinary loss, unfitness, misconduct and other coverage-sensitive issues.
Transit, Interest & Change
Insurable interest, attachment and termination of cover, storage, transhipment and changes affecting the insured adventure.
Mitigation, Charges & Duties
Reasonable mitigation, sue and labour considerations, additional expenditure and preservation of damaged property.
English Insurance Law Context
Relevant marine insurance principles and the interaction between traditional marine insurance law and modern claims practice.
Measuring Loss & Quantum
Partial loss, repair, depreciation, salvage, total loss, constructive total loss, valuation and transparent claim calculations.
IMLARCO Field Survey Protocol
Appointment, attendance, evidence preservation, chronology, sampling, measurements, photographs and professional boundaries.
Specialist Cargo Investigations
Temperature-controlled cargo, wet damage, machinery, shortage, theft, contamination and bulk cargo measurement.
Reporting & Claim Adjustment
Turning field evidence into a report and adjustment that can withstand professional scrutiny.
Recovery Strategy
Custody mapping, preservation of rights, notices, title to sue, evidence holds, limitation and quantified recovery demands.
Sea, Air, Road & Multimodal Recoveries
The different contractual and liability environments that may govern international cargo movement.
General Average & Salvage
The practical distinction between cargo damage, general average contribution, salvage liability and security.
IMLARCO Quality Standard
A professional framework for evidence, language, calculations, review and report release.
Practical working tools
More than a reference book
The publication also includes practical working tools designed for use during live claims and professional file review.
- ICC 2009 Working Clause Map
- First 24 Hours – Cargo Survey Checklist
- Claim Documentation Matrix
- Notice of Loss/Damage & Joint Survey Invitation
- Model Quantified Recovery Demand
- Recovery Time-Bar & Limitation Quick Reference
- Reefer & Temperature Claim Evidence Protocol
- IMLARCO Report Release Checklist
- Worked Claim Adjustment
- Glossary
- Authorities & Practice References
- Cargo Loss Mechanism Reference
- Commercial & Transport Document Map
- Senior Claim Review – Red-Team Questions
IMLARCO approach
A claim is a connected system
A marine cargo claim rarely turns on one document, one photograph or one clause.
The condition of the cargo, the insured transit, the physical mechanism of loss, the available evidence, the financial measure of damage and the prospects of third-party recovery are interconnected.
IMLARCO's approach is therefore to investigate the claim as one system.
A fact gathered during survey may later determine causation. The same fact may affect insurance coverage or become decisive in a recovery against a carrier. An apparently minor omission during the first attendance may become significant months later when the claim is reviewed by underwriters, lawyers, P&I interests or a tribunal.
The purpose of the guide is to encourage evidence-led professional judgement before the evidence disappears.
Download IMLARCO Guidelines 01
Cargo Claims, Survey & Recovery Guidelines
Institute Cargo Clauses 2009 – Practical Coverage, Adjustment & Recovery
First Edition | 2025
A complimentary professional publication from IMLARCO.
Free digital publication
Publication notice
This publication is provided for general professional guidance and reference.
It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for the relevant insurance policy, contract of carriage, applicable convention, statute, jurisdiction-specific limitation rule or advice from appropriately qualified professionals.
Policy wordings, endorsements, contractual terms, liability regimes and procedural requirements should always be considered according to the circumstances of the individual claim and the applicable jurisdiction.
References to market clauses, organisations and industry instruments are descriptive and do not imply endorsement of or affiliation with IMLARCO.
© 2025 IMLARCO. All rights reserved.
Working on a live marine cargo claim?
IMLARCO provides independent marine surveying, loss adjusting, claims investigation, technical assessment and recovery support across international cargo and marine matters.
For survey appointments, claims support or recovery enquiries, contact our team.
Suggested citationIMLARCO (2025), Cargo Claims, Survey & Recovery Guidelines: Institute Cargo Clauses 2009 – Practical Coverage, Adjustment & Recovery, IMLARCO Guidelines 01, First Edition.