The valuation of possessions being trucked in any transfer of a person, family, or business from Tulsa and Oklahoma City to another locale – or from anywhere to anywhere – is stringently regulated by the federal government.
Yes, in most cases, your moving company is legally liable for any loss or destruction of your possessions at any time during the haul. It’s also liable for loss and damage while its crews are physically touching your items in fulfillment of any other Tulsa and Oklahoma City moving services you selected. Such services should be described on the bill of lading: packing, unpacking, disassembly and reassembly, for instance.
There are, however, limits to your moving company’s liability. Those limits are established by the federal Surface Transportation Board’s Released Rates Order. You can get your hands on a current copy of it here.
The important thing is, know what choices are available to you for the protection of your belongings. And know your Tulsa and Oklahoma City moving company. Just because a mover puts it out that his firm is “fully insured and bonded” is no guarantee that your possessions themselves are automatically covered. Also, your local mover being associated with a major national van line is no assurance that you’re protected either. In both events, you could be forced to buy additional third-party liability insurance. Your mover may offer to sell it to you, but he has no legal obligation to sell it to you. Ask questions when you first talk in order to learn exactly what’s what.
Keep this in mind when you’re researching your various avenues here in Tulsa and Oklahoma City: Two different levels of moving-company liability are relevant to interstate moves – Full Replacement-Value Protection and Waiver of Full Replacement-Value Protection, or Released Value.
If you opt to go with a Waiver of Full Replacement-Value Protection, or Released Value, you will, of course, be getting minimal liability protection. But it won’t cost you a cent. What this degree of protection does is limit your mover’s liability to no more than 60 cents per pound, per article. Obviously, that won’t give you enough of a reimbursement to replace any piece valued above 60 cents per pound! Things like stereo equipment, gym equipment, computer hardware, and computer software are therefore considerably more at risk. That’s something to ponder before you sign on the dotted line!
You could, however, have one additional option: your current homeowner’s policy. Take a look at it and get together with your insurance agent to discover if there’s anything in it regarding coverage of goods during a relocation. If there is, you could find the minimum level of mover liability coverage – Released Value – acceptable.
Just make sure you’re clear about what level of protection your moving company is including in his quote: Full Protection or Released Value. That way, you should be totally prepared for nearly anything your move throws at you!
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