Definitions
Incident: An event or occurrence.
Claim: A demand or request for compensation (financial payout) because of the incident.
When does an incident becomes a claim?
When the person or party involved in the incident suffers a loss (property damage or bodily injury) and is seeking compensation form the liable party or parties.
Why do we investigate incidents?
- To understand the facts: how or why did the incident occur.
- To determine liability: who is responsible for the incident occurring.
- To capture all relevant information in a timely fashion: contracts, porter logs, sign in/out sheets, statements, inspection reports and more depending on the type of incident.
- We often rely on these documents 2-3 years following as incident, after a legal claim has been made. They are evidence.