Ri$k Happens: When the wind is not your friend

One blustery morning, a rental store employee was transferring items from a cart to the rental store’s vehicle in their parking lot. One minute the cart was there, then next a hearty gust of wind took it. The employee turned around to see the cart ram into a nearby parked vehicle. The momentum then carried it along, scraping down the side of the vehicle.

The rental store employee was able to exchange information with the owner of the damaged vehicle. The employee followed his store’s established accident reporting procedures and took pictures of the damage. The rental store then reported the incident to their insurance provider.

Once assigned, the claims adjuster will verify the details of the loss, verify the damage and proceed with payment as warranted.

Gusts of wind can play tricks during many types of deliveries. Stay on guard. Have a reporting procedure in place and make sure all employees are familiar with it, so that the situation can be handled correctly in the event of an accident.

This item, provided by ARA Insurance, Overland Park, Kan., contains safety tips and is intended to help readers better understand and manage risk. For more safety and risk management information, customers of ARA Insurance can log on to ReSource. Access is free, so if you haven’t signed up yet, contact your agent or call 800-821-6580.