How to file a CMR claim for cargo damage
File a CMR cargo damage claim by noting damage at delivery or within 7 days, then submit the claim before the 1-year CMR Convention time-bar expires.
Logifie Team
Logistics Technology Experts
To file a CMR claim for cargo damage, note visible damage in writing on the CMR consignment note at delivery, or send written notice within 7 days for hidden damage. Submit a written claim to the carrier stating the loss, supported by evidence, before the 1-year time-bar under CMR Convention Article 32 expires.
When must you notify a carrier of CMR cargo damage?
Under Article 30 of the CMR Convention , the notification window depends on how visible the damage is. Visible damage must be recorded in writing at the moment the consignee takes delivery, either as a signed reservation on the consignment note or a separate written notice sent within seven days, Sundays and public holidays excluded. A claim for financial loss caused by delay rather than physical damage follows a different clock: written notice within 21 days of the goods being placed at the consignee's disposal. Missing either window does not extinguish the claim, but it shifts the burden of proof onto the claimant. Drivers who log delivery condition and reservations through the driver app at the moment of handover create exactly the time-stamped record a notice of loss depends on.
How much compensation can you claim under CMR?
CMR liability is capped, not open-ended. Article 23 limits compensation to 8.33 SDR per kilogram of the gross weight of the goods lost or damaged, converted into euros at the judgment-day rate. With the SDR trading at roughly EUR 1.15 to 1.20 through mid-2026, that works out to approximately EUR 9 to 10 per kilogram. The cap can be broken only through proven wilful misconduct or a higher declared value accepted before carriage began. A carrier with consistent documentation is best placed if a misconduct dispute reaches court, so choosing a compliance-ready carrier up front matters.
How long do you have to file a CMR claim?
The overall time-bar for CMR actions is one year from delivery, extended to three years where the carrier's conduct amounts to wilful misconduct, under Article 32 of the Convention. Sending the Article 30 notice of loss does not itself stop this clock; a formal written claim addressed to the carrier, or the start of legal proceedings, is what interrupts the limitation period. Keep the original consignment note, delivery photographs and reservation correspondence together from day one, since a contested claim typically needs all three. Getting the consignment note right from the start removes one common source of dispute before a claim is ever filed.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if you miss the CMR notification deadline?
Missing the seven-day hidden-damage window, or failing to note visible damage at delivery, creates a rebuttable presumption that the goods arrived in the condition described on the consignment note. You can still bring a claim, but you then carry the burden of proving the carrier caused the damage.
Can you claim more than the 8.33 SDR per kilogram limit?
Only if you prove wilful misconduct or equivalent conduct by the carrier, or if a higher value was declared on the consignment note and accepted by the carrier before carriage began. Without one of those, Article 23's cap applies regardless of the goods' actual value.
Does the CMR claim deadline differ for loss versus delay?
Yes. Loss or damage must be notified immediately if visible, or within seven days if hidden, while a claim for financial loss caused by delay must be notified in writing within 21 days of the goods being placed at the consignee's disposal.
Who is responsible for filing a CMR claim, the shipper or the consignee?
Either party to the contract of carriage can bring a claim, but whoever holds the right of disposal over the goods at the time of the loss, usually the consignee after delivery or the sender before it, is best placed to notify the carrier and preserve evidence. In practice this is often whichever party actually carries the financial loss, since they have the clearest incentive to meet the notification deadlines and keep the supporting evidence together.
If a claim looks likely, request a compliance-aware freight quote from a carrier that documents chain of custody correctly from collection to delivery.
