Transport settlement for 7,400 PLN after 3 hours
The dispute concerned damage to goods during transshipment. Both sides had contradictory protocols. Our arbitrator helped determine the actual moment of damage and led to a sharing of costs.
Trans-Lublin Logistyka was in a stalemate with a contractor from Germany. It was about three damaged pallets with electronics, whose value amounted to 7,420 PLN.
The challenge
The dispute had been dragging on since November 12, 2024. The recipient of the goods refused to pay for the entire delivery because the damage protocol was unclear. The carrier claimed that the damage occurred before loading, and the warehouse workers in Lublin pointed to errors in securing the straps. For 23 days, the companies exchanged 46 emails from which nothing resulted. The cost of a lawyer for each side began to approach 1,800 PLN, which at this scale of the claim was completely unprofitable. Discretion is our standard, so both sides were looking for a way out that would not destroy their 4-year cooperation.
Our approach
We appointed one arbitrator with 8 years of experience in transport law to the case. The meeting took place on December 9 in our office at Krakowskie Przedmieście 22. Instead of analyzing general regulations, we focused on 6 photos taken with a smartphone by the driver at the transshipment point. We used a simple scheme: 45 minutes for each side to present facts without interruption. We solve the problem, we don't look for the guilty – this was our main rule during these talks.
The solution
Our arbitrator pointed to a specific moment of the supply chain interruption visible on the photos from 2:12 pm on the day of loading. It turned out that the stretch film was already damaged by a forklift on the ramp. We proposed a settlement based on a 70/30 principle. The carrier admitted part of the guilt for the lack of an entry in the CMR waybill, and the loader for the forklift operator's error. We prepared a one-page settlement document that both sides signed on the spot. Court is the last resort, which is why we focused on a fast cost split that closes the topic once and for all.
Results
We closed the entire proceedings before the coffee break. The client regained financial liquidity, and the disputed invoice was paid within 48 hours.
Timeline
-
12/04/2024Reporting the case via the form on the website
-
12/06/2024Analysis of transport documentation and 6 photos of damage
-
12/09/2024Arbitration session and signing of a binding settlement
"Clear rules of the game. Instead of paying lawyers for writing letters for half a year, we settled the matter in one afternoon. The arbitrator from Lublin Union Arbitrage immediately caught the error in the photos."